


Waking up

by arjasmo



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coma, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Rehabilitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-10-30 18:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 49,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17833949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arjasmo/pseuds/arjasmo
Summary: Sometimes in life we think that we have what we need. Sometimes we are very wrong. Also, sometimes it takes an event, a change, a life changer, to help us see that we were not as happy as we thought we were. John Smith is asleep, comatose actually. But with the arrival of one Rose Tyler, who's sole job is to watch the comatose patients, he starts to stir. Without knowing it, she reaches out to him, and he comes out of the darkness. What happens next is a journey for John and Rose that neither ever thought they would take. It may lead them together, or they both may go on with the lives they once had. One thing is for sure, they both have some waking up to do.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for joining me again on another journey. Ii'm never sure how these pop into my head, but here we are. I've been writing a lot of the Ninth Doctor lately, I have no idea why. I am just a servant to the muse i suppose. This is a completed work though, I will post two chapters today for you to get a feel for it. I hope you enjoy it!

Rose adjusted her messenger bag as she stepped through the open doors of the veteran’s hospital. She smiled at the volunteer at the reception desk and gave her a cheery hello, to which the older woman smiled back. This was day number one of her new job. Well actually, day number three if she counted the orientation and paperwork days. But this was her first day on the floor. When her friend Sarah Jane had gotten her the job, Rose had not been sure about it. Watching comatose patients sleep was not the sort of job she had thought she'd have. She had been a shop girl for a while, but it was conflicting with school. Even though there was talk of promoting her to manager, that’s not what she wanted ultimately. She was in uni, doing well, almost done in fact, majoring in English literature with an art history minor. Her dream job would be teaching at a university, doing art restoration or being a curator of an art museum. But for now, she was just studying, reading and trying to get by. 

This new job was perfect. The wages were great, and it was only for a few hours a night. "You can study, read, do whatever you want. All you have to do is be there if anything happens. You listen for alarms or for movement. And if it happens you alert a nurse. That's it," Sarah Jane had told her over lunch. 

"That's it? How many hours?'

"They have six-hour shifts, four to five days a week. You work at night, six to midnight then go home to sleep and you will be ready for school the next day. It's the best job ever for a uni student!"

Rose had to agree. Because of her major she had a ton of reading to do weekly. Being in a quiet spot to read for six hours at a time sounded wonderful. 

When the lift dinged, she got out on the fourth floor and went up to the nurse's station. The older, brown haired nurse looked up, her kind eyes finding Rose, and her face breaking into a huge smile. "Well hello there, Rose! I'm so glad you're here. Let me get Adam, our patient care technician. He'll be training you tonight. " 

"Hi Sarah Jane, I thought you would be teaching me."

"No, Adam gets that distinction. But if you need anything, just ask me. I have to go give medications. Come with me," she beckoned.

Sarah Jane led Rose to what looked like a storage room. It held the automated medicine cabinets so the nurses could put in the patient's numbers and charge accordingly for things used, as well as a coffee maker and a table. 

"This is our storage room. There is no food in here, but coffee is OK. We have a lounge down the hall for breaks and such.” She turned and looked behind Rose. “Oh, here’s Adam."

Rose turned to see a young man, about her age come in. He wore plain blue scrubs and a sour expression. "Sarah Jane, Mr. Taylor in 406 keeps pooping the bed. I just cleaned up after him for the second time this shift. Can't we diaper him?" Rose noticed an American accent on him. He wasn’t bad looking, but his face was screwed up in disgust, which, in her opinion, made him look like a brat. 

Sara Jane sighed lightly, like a mother would to a recalcitrant child that she didn’t want to reprimand in public. "Adam, no we can't. I’ve told you. You need to stop in periodically and ask him if he needs the commode. He doesn't have accidents on purpose, but his meds make him have loose stools. As soon as he can get up safely to use the loo he will. But we must do our part. Did you clean him?"

Adam sighed dramatically. "Yes, but it was everywhere. I swear if I go home smelling like that man's poop-"

"That's enough, Adam," Sarah Jane chided. "That is your job. We'll talk about this later. But I want you to meet Rose, your new sitter. I'd like you to show her the job tonight."

Adam turned to Rose and slowly looked her up and down, his face hitching up into a sly smile. "Hello Rose," he said. 

Rose stifled a laugh, only because she half expected a "How you doin'?”, Joey Tribiani from Friends style. 

"Hello Adam," she answered as coolly as possible. I was clear that Adam thought very highly of himself, and the last thing she needed on the first day of a new job was to have to shut down misguided romantic advances from an overly confident boy. 

"Come with me, I'll show you the ropes. I mean there’s nothing to it. All you have to do is sit there. We have four patients now but can have up to six. You literally will be doing nothing." He gave her an exhausted look and motioned her to follow. Rose couldn't help but see Sarah Jane's look of disdain. Though she had initially tried to cover it, it was not hard to see that Adam was not her favorite person. The followed him into the main hall. 

While leading her, Adam gave a running commentary about the floor. "This is the lounge. You get half hour break at the three-hour mark and you can come in here. Before you go you need to contact the nurse’s station for someone to come in and cover. Are you a nursing student?"

"No, English Lit and Art History. I just need a job and Sarah Jane recommended this one. "

He nodded, sneaking another look at her. "Yeah, it pays well. I'm in school myself. I'm just getting contact hours and then I'll be in Physician Assistant school. I'm not going to bother with nursing or anything. And I don't want to wait to be a doctor. PA school is perfect for me. It won't be hard either. "

"You sound confident."

"Nothing is ever hard for me. I'm really smart," he answered. 

Rose looked up at him, expecting to see humor in his eyes, but she didn't. He was telling the truth, or what he thought was the truth. At that moment, Rose realized that Adam was one to watch. He put himself up on a pedestal. He wouldn’t be someone she would talk to if she didn’t have to. She tucked that away to ask Sarah Jane later.

But something else was bugging her. “You’re American? Why are you here?”

“Oh, my dad is a government contractor. He’s working with the military on new surveillance. My mom and I moved out with him two years ago. I finished my university education here. I stayed because it looks got on a resume to have worked in a foreign country.”

“England is hardly foreign,” she countered flatly. 

“If it’ll give me an advantage over some other yahoo, I’ll take it. But it’s not that I have to work too hard at being the best,” he answered, waving an arm as if shooing away anyone who was not at his level. 

After showing her a few more things, like the break room, Adam led her to the room where she would be working. It was long but fairly narrow, with beds sticking out perpendicularly from the walls. The head of each bed was against the wall. There was a middle aisle that was about 2 meters wide. The beds looked identical, a figure in each one, and railings up each bed. As they walked in, a young dark-skinned woman stood up. She had been seated at the end of the room. 

Adam motioned to her. "I asked Cindy to stay a little while longer while I oriented you. Thanks Cindy, you can clock out now." The young lady, no older than Rose, nodded but shot him a look as she passed. Rose wasn’t sure if it was because he had so patronizingly told her to go or if she just hated him in general. She left promptly and Adam didn’t seem to notice her look at him. But he did wait until she was down the hall a bit before speaking again. "She's a little simple, but it literally takes no effort to do this job. "

Rose looked away. Adam was working on all her nerves. His disrespect of everyone was going to run her patience thin in short order. 

Adam led her down the center aisle. He introduced the patients blandly. He stopped at the first one. "This is Ruth. She had something heavy land on her head a few months ago. She's not going to recover, but when they took out all the tubes, she hung on. So here she is." Rose took a moment to look at her. She must have been beautiful in her former life. She had dark hair that turned into natural loose curls that, even though were on a pillow, laid like they had been arranged. Her face was slightly misshapen, but Rose could tell from the side that wasn’t damaged that she had beautiful features. She would have turned a few heads for sure. 

She had a few personal effects on her bedside table, including a picture of a woman Rose assumed was her, standing with her arms around a very good-looking man. He was slightly older than her, and they were both in uniform. She could tell by the look in their eyes that they were both very happy to be together. She wondered where that man was now, and how devastated he was to have her there. 

Adam proceeded to tell her about all the patients in turn until he got to the end of the row. There was a young cook from an aircraft carrier that had been involved in an explosion, and another twentyish girl who had nearly drowned after being knocked of the deck of a ship. All of them looked like they had been so vital in their lives before they ended up there. It was sad to see them in this state, especially after seeing their pictures and things next to them. 

Adam stopped at the last bed and sidled up to the side of it. He indicated the man in the bed. "This is Mr. Smith, John. He's a mystery. He was a sniper and special ops when his helicopter went down. You can see his scars. He was the sole survivor. They were evacuating people at the time. It was a mess. But he was initially semi-conscious but stopped responding about a day in. His CT scans are all negative other than some mild changes that can be attributed to concussion. The doctors figured that he should have woken up by now, but here he is. He's been out for 3 or 4 months now."

Rose walked up to the bed and looked over the railing, taking him in. Unlike the others where she had merely surveyed them, something made her want to take a closer look at John. He had medium to dark hair, it was fuzzy on his head like he normally had it close cropped, but it hadn't been cut in a while. He had a full scruffy beard that extended a little beyond his chin. His features were striking in that he had a proud nose and big ears, but they suited him. She figured that he was most likely handsome before his accident, not that he wasn’t now. Upon closer inspection, he had a yellow feeding tube coming out of his nose and taped to his cheek. He also had some sort of fluids handing on an IV pole. The line to which seemed to go in just below his right collarbone. 

As far as scarring, he had a long scar that led from his left ear and down his neck. Other than that, he had a few smaller scars that were from old facial wounds. 

Adam was talking again. "This one you have to watch. I usually have the sitters like you sit near him. He has been known to wake and pull on things. He never gets fully conscious though. It's annoying more than anything. He has grabbed a few of the sitters but he lets go soon. If I didn't know better, he seems to be in a perpetual bad dream, he sighs and grumbles but then will settle. He's our only problem child in here though. Everyone in here is pretty well behaved. " 

"Do you guys have to roll them or anything?" Rose asked, wondering how they could be lying flat for so long. 

"No, the beds do that. They’re pneumatic. You will hear them from time to time. They adjust the patients to get the pressure off them. It sounds like a little groan. At first it made me think one of them was groaning. But nope, no one makes a sound. I mean most of them don't need anything at all. They get tube feedings and fluids. They all have diapers on and are cleaned periodically. You don't have to do anything. If you smell something bad, just ring the call button. They basically are here as vegetables. We would probably do better giving them Miracle Grow. Mr. Smith is the only one who has any movement at all. He turned to Mr. Smith. "You're ornery, aren't you Johnny Boy.?" He then poked the man on his inanimate arm.

Rose couldn't take it anymore. Adam was disrespectful to everyone. "You know they’re people, right? Maybe you shouldn't poke them. "

Adam stepped back and gave her a knowing look. "Everyone is like you at first. But you'll learn too. There are no changes, other than someone giving up the ghost or someone new showing up. "

Rose bit her lip to keep from lashing out. Adam was quickly getting to the top of her list. A list no one wanted to be on. But this was her first day. She couldn't kill him just yet. But the idea wasn't totally off the table. 

"OK, so you just make yourself comfortable, I'll come in and tell you it's time to go when I come in and take their vital signs at the end of your shift. Just let us know if anything happens, other than that, go crazy. Oh, and no headphones or loud music. You can play some music but keep it low. That way you can listen for trouble."

He didn't even look back at her as he traveled to the door. "Have a good shift! He called over his shoulder, closing the door behind him, leaving Rose in a room full of inanimate bodies. 

OoOoOo

The first thing Rose did was walk around each bed introducing herself to each patient. Next to each bed, as she had seen before, were personal effects. But this time around she took time to look at what each patient had out. Most were pictures of them with family, trinkets and flowers and what not. On the table next to Ruth, next to her pictures, was a bright pink brush. Rose picked it up and looked at the her. Then she reached out and began to brush her long hair. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. There wasn't any major change in the woman, but maybe a softening of her features. It was hard to tell, but it made Rose feel better. That only solidified the notion that these were people, people who used to be vital, and people who liked things. This patient obviously liked having her hair brushed. 

Rose made her way from bed to bed, having one sided conversations with each person, remarking on pictures and such until she got to John Smith. His table had nothing on it. Rose opened the attached drawer and was not surprised to find nothing inside. She stood for a minute just taking him in. He was handsome. She wondered why he didn't have any things on this table. 

She pulled a chair next to his bed and sat, using his table to set down her things. She had a paper due by the end of the week on “Tale of Two Cities”, but she hadn't had the time to read it. She opened her copy and started to read to herself, but then it occurred to her that no one was listening, and decided to read it aloud. That way she wouldn't get bored and fall asleep. 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times-" she read aloud. 

Rose read for quite some time. Between which the strolled around the room, took a short break, ate her dinner and then settled next to John. Something about him drew her to him. Everyone else's face in the room was blank. But his looked... sad. But also, it seemed to show other emotions too. 

That and she could had sworn his eyes opened a few times when she was there reading. It was subtle, just a little stirring when she sat next to him. It wasn't the bed turning him. He was moving, but only slightly. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her, or maybe John just moved a lot. Whatever the case, Rose felt compelled to be near him. 

Finally, at the end of her shift, Adam came in and took everyone's vital signs. Rose didn't like how he moved the patients. He wasn't being kind, but not quite rough. It was more like indifferent. He didn't talk to them, just took an arm and attached the cuff to each one. Rose waited until he got to John. 

Adam went for John's arm but found it hard to lift. "C'mon," he muttered under his breath. Rose could see John's muscles tense in the arm Adam was trying to manhandle. It wasn't working. Adam blew out a frustrated breath. "He always does this to me. I swear he does it just to be difficult. It just pisses me off." He struggled again with the arm.

Rose stood and came to John's bedside. His face was tight, his sad expression gone. Instinctively she laid a hand on his chest. "John, you have to relax for Adam to take your vitals. It'll only be a minute. Then he'll leave you alone. "

"It won't work," Adam declared, but even as he said it, John's arm relaxed in his hands. "Wha?" Adam asked as he pushed the button on his machine for the cuff to inflate. 

He turned to Rose, a conspiratorial smile on his face. "I need to keep you around, you make my job easier."

Rose didn't return his smile. 

When Adam was almost done, another young lady came in to be the next shift of sitter. She smiled at Rose, took up a seat at the end of the room and took out a book. She didn't even look at the people in the beds. 

Rose turned to John. "I'll see you tomorrow night, John Smith. She squeezed his toe through the blanket. And just for a second, though she'd never be able to prove it, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of a smile cross his face. But then it was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, things are starting to move along now, aren't they?

The next day, Rose came in early to work, specifically to talk to Sarah Jane. She found her in the lounge, finishing her dinner. 

"Well Rose, how did it go last night? I'm sorry I wasn't here, I had to go get another patient and move them up to this floor. "

"No worries, it was OK. I got a ton of reading done. I like it in there. It's peaceful. But I have a question. That John Smith, what’s his story?"

Sarah Jane took a sip of her soda. "He doesn't have a happy story. "

"I heard about the crash."

"Yeah, but after that was when things got weird. He got out of the crash then collapsed. He was semi-conscious when the medics got to him. He had a head injury, but not a severe one. He never was really with the program, he just kept yelling about the people that died. Then, shortly thereafter, he stopped responding. It was really sad."

"Was he married?"

"No, I guess he had a girlfriend. From what I hear he was head over heels for her. "

Rose felt a twinge when Sarah Jane said that. But didn't know why. She opted to ignore it. 

Sarah continued, "I never saw the girlfriend, but the nurses downstairs said that she came in only once, about a week after the accident. She asked a lot of questions, was generally annoying, but never even went to his bedside. It was weird. No one has seen her since. She certainly has not been up here since he has been in this ward."

"I wonder if that explains his sad face," she pondered out loud. 

"Maybe. I always feel like he is right on the brink of waking up. But not quite there. I come in and talk to him sometimes. He seems to like it."

"I know, I swear that he was opening his eyes on and off last night, but I couldn't catch him doing it. "

"I have, a few times. But there hasn't been a light behind his eyes. It may just be some sort of reflex. Who knows?" She looked at her watch. "OK, well it's time for me to get back to work and you to start. Oh, I almost forgot. I heard on the news that there was a rape in the area. The girl had been at a club two streets over. They found her in a car park a mile away. She is alive, but badly injured. I just want you to be careful when you leave here."

"I hadn’t heard anything, thanks. That's scary. I'll keep an eye out. "

Sarah and Rose left the lounge together then parted ways. Rose went to her appointed room and relieved the other sitter then went around the room brushing hair, adjusting blankets and talking. She wondered if anyone had seen her if they would have thought she was looney. But she didn't care. These were people and they deserved to be treated like it. 

After she had made her rounds, she came to John's bedside. He had an arm out from under the covers. Rose laid a hand on it, and it felt cold. The temperature in the room was cool too. So she tucked his arm under the blanket and gave it a gentle pat. Then she sat down. "Well John, I'm almost done with 'Tale of Two Cities but I have to read it for class. So, I thought I would read something different tonight. I wanted to start the Harry Potter series again, to see what I missed the first time. So, I hope you like wizards." Rose thought she heard a little puff of breath come out of John. He was on his back, but the bed had him partially rotated up, so he was facing her slightly. Her eyes flew to him, but there wasn't anything different about him. Well, be didn't have his sad face on, but it was more neutral. Not slack like the others up on the ward, but just calm. 

Rose opened the book and started to read. 

About a chapter in, she felt something. Not physically, but a tickle in her brain, like she should be paying attention to something. It was the feeling of being watched. She flicked up her eyes from the book and caught sight of one of the most stunning sites she had ever seen. Deep blue eyes were staring back at her. She leaned forward. Maybe it was just a reflex, but unlike what Sarah Jane said, he did have a light behind his eyes. 

But then they closed a second later. Rose shook her head. Maybe it was just an oddity. She started to read again, but sure enough, a few paragraphs in, his eyes opened again. She looked up again and he stared, unblinking at her for another few moments and then they closed. 

That's how it went for another few chapters, but finally they didn't open anymore. Rose wondered if he had actually fallen asleep, or his eye opening was a fluke. when Adam came in for vitals, John didn't resist. Unthinking, she laid her hand on his arm and thanked him for not resisting. She wasn't patronizing, just nice. Adam gave her another shake off the head, showing that he thought her barmy for talking to comatose people. Before she left, she squeezed John's toes again. This time he shifted briefly, but he wasn't facing her. She saw his eyes flit open though. She was encouraged, especially to see what would happen the next night.

When she got off that night, she was careful to took in her surroundings. Luckily the hospital grounds were busy at all times of the day. She looked over to the loading zone where people were getting picked up by family or friends and noted that there were a few ride services idling there too. A voice came from behind her. “I call those guys the vultures. They are ride guys that didn’t get called to the bars and clubs. They hang out here until they get a call or hope to pick up people needing a ride from the hospital. They aren’t allowed to park on the street in front of the bars and clubs. “

Rose looked up. It was Adam. She frowned. “Thanks for the information,” she deadpanned. Adam stepped around her, whistling and headed to the car park. “Arse,” she said under her breath, going to the bus stop. 

The cars waiting made her nervous, especially with the news Sarah Jane had given her. One of the cars, a blue sedan, pulled up as she sat at the bus stop. “Hey, you want a ride, I’m better than the bus.”

She couldn’t see the driver’s face, and she was uncomfortable. “No thanks, the bus will be here in a moment.”

She looked past the car and relaxed when she saw the lights of the bus approaching. A couple of seconds later it was honking at the little car to move so it could pull into the stop. Once it belched out its passengers, a surprising amount for it being midnight, Rose climbed on. She watched the car drive away after that. She shook her head. She was spooking herself. 

 

OoOooo

After visiting her patients the next night, Rose settled next to John. "Hi John, it's me, Rose," she said suddenly feeling self-conscious about the introduction. "Um, how about we mix it up tonight, I have to read Faulkner for an essay I'm writing. Maybe you can help me. " John didn't react at all, adding to her argument that all that had happened with him had been an anomaly. She took in his long form again. He made the bed look small, not by just his size, but his looks. Without even knowing him, he looked like he had a commanding presence. She could see how he would have been a good officer in the military. He just had an air of authority about him even asleep in a bed with a full beard. Then she noticed his arm again. It was out of the covers. she tutted and slid it back under, patting it lightly. "If this is your attempt at escape, you're going to have to work a little harder," she said to him. 

John then let out the slightest of sighs. If she hadn't been standing right next to him, she wouldn't have heard it. Again, she wondered if he was in there. 

She sat next to him and took out her book. She was only a few paragraphs in when she heard John's bed groan. She ignored it the first time, but then it happened again. The beds moved the patients on timers, but this was more often, like he was moving, and the bed was adjusting to him. She stopped and looked at him, but his eyes were closed, so she started again. This time she should hear him fidgeting. The movements were slight, nothing to really see, but he was squirming. He also let out a few more sighs. Rose stopped again. 

"John? Are you not a fan of Faulkner?" she asked. He didn't move. 

"Fine then, I'll go back to what you like." She snapped the book in her hands closed and reached for the Harry Potter book she still had. "I never knew I'd be reading to a persnickety coma patient," she said with a giggle. 

Sure enough, John calmed with the change in reading material. His head rested on its side, but his face wasn't totally facing her. But again, a few paragraphs in, she glanced up and saw it. His eyes were on her again. This time his face wasn't slack. It wasn't smiling, but it looked content. "Well hello there," she cooed. "Are you with me tonight?" There was no change in expression. Then- a slow blink. At first Rose thought his eyes were closing, but then they opened again. The bright blueness of them sending a shiver down her spine. She didn't know what else to say, so she punted. "I'm glad you're here. I get bored." Another slow blink. 

His eyes bored into her, not like he was begging for something, but like he was just looking out again for the first time. But they didn't move. They stayed on her face. Even as she started to read again, he just watched her. Eventually the long blinks got longer, and his eyes stayed closed. She was a little sad to see them go, but imagined the if he was with her, he would tire out quickly. 

The rest of the night was uneventful. She went for her break and read more to John as well as did more homework. At the end of the night she made her rounds with Adam when he did vital signs. She was pretty sure he didn't like her watching so closely, but she didn't like how he touched the patients. With her standing by he was less gruff with them. 

When they reached John, Rose noticed his arm was out again when Adam reached for it. "You need to make sure they're covered," he said. "They get cold, then they get pneumonia then they die."

He was again handling John's arm roughly. This time John's arm flexed suddenly, startling them both. 

Adam was struggling with it and Rose ran around the bed and put her hand on John's chest. "John, let Adam take your blood pressure. She wiggled her fingers, lightly massaging his chest just below his neck. It wasn't working. "Please, John, for me?"

John's arm went limp. Rose kept up her ministrations until Adam was done. Then she lightly patted John on the chest. "Thank you."

Adam stared at her. "I don't know what you do, but he gives me fits all the time and you seem to undo that. It must be your feminine wiles. Or John here is a horn-dog. " He laughed to himself. As he put John's arm down, John flexed again, and his hand nearly hit Adam in the face. 

Rose laughed out loud at Adam flailing, trying to put the arm back. "John and I have an agreement, that's all. Also, he's a gentleman, don't call him a horn-dog." The last part of her statement was tinged with annoyance. 

"Whatever you say, but I think he's randy. Isn't that what you all call it here in England? "

Rose shook her head and then tapped John on the foot. "Bye John, I'll see you tomorrow. " Adam was walking away. "Don't listen to Adam, he's an idiot," she said, now quieter. She gathered her stuff and took one last look at him. His blue eyes were again trained on her, and then they closed again. 

Oooooo  
Rose got to work on the third night only to find that Sarah Jane had to leave town to care for her mother, who had fallen. She had really wanted to talk to her about the possibility that John was waking up but came face to face with the sullen eyes of a clearly overworked nurse where she would have seen the kind ones of Sarah Jane. 

So, she just went to the room without talking to anyone. Inside, she went about her self-appointed nightly tasks, brushing hair, fussing over covers and such, getting to John last. Tonight, the head of his bed was up just a little. This wasn't a surprise. Occasionally the nurses would do this when assessing them. It was common to find them in slightly different positions. This time John's head wasn't just up, but he was more situated mostly on his side, facing where she would sit. He wasn't totally on his side but leaned towards her. She shook it off as something the nurse did. But his arm was out again. 

She smiled at him, though his eyes were closed. "Well here you are again, Mr. Smith, making a slow escape. But I know how to thwart you." She tucked his arm in again and patted it. "See, I will not fall victim to your evil schemes." She laughed to herself, eyes flitting to his face and could have sworn she saw a teeny smirk. But it was just a whisper if anything. and she didn't know if she actually saw it or not. 

She sat down and opened her bag. "Now John, I know you hate Faulkner, and really like the Harry Potter stuff, but you need to remember that there are only seven books in this series. If you don't wake up at some point, we'll have to start something new. I could always switch to the Twilight series," she said, laughing again. John didn't react at all to that. She shook her head. She had been hoping for another smirk, but there was nothing. For the umpteenth she wondered if her eyes were just playing tricks on her. 

Rose started to read, by now she was used to John's occasional restless shifting. She was reading the part about the sorting hat when she felt the weight of his stare again. She looked up to see his eyes trained on her. But this time was different. His eyes held emotion. They looked happy, or hopeful. 

She put the book on her lap. "Hi John, I'm glad to see your eyes tonight." Then she stopped and leaned forward. "John, are you with me?"

John's head gave the slightest of nods. If she hadn't been staring so intently at him, she would have missed it. Her heart leapt. It sped up so much she could hear it in her ears. She reached out a hand and put it on his bed, and his eyes followed it. That was the first time she had seen his eyes move. They were on her hand only for a second then back up to her eyes. 

Rose didn't know what to do, she wanted to bolt to the nurse’s station and get help, but something in his stare told her not to. "Do you want me to get a nurse?" she asked. 

He very slightly shook his head. His eyes never left hers. 

"Do you want me to keep reading?"

He nodded again, this time just a little bit more. Then there was a long blink. 

So, suppressing the urge to run and get someone, Rose started to read to him again. She didn't get far when she heard someone come in the room. Rose looked up at John, his eyes were closed again. 

Rose got up and went to Adam and tried to play it cool. "Um, hey Adam, do any of these guys ever wake up, do they ever respond?"

"No, I've never heard one do that. We’ve been over this. They're just vegetables. I mean like the lights aren't even on and nobody's home. They wiggle, occasionally eyes will open, but it's nothing. I told you John was the worst. Was that what you were about to ask? He's not waking up." They were moving along the patients, Adam taking blood pressures one patient at a time. He never regarded any of the patients, just took their arms, wrapped the cuff around and turned it on. He never spoke to anyone. Patient by patient, Rose was getting more annoyed. 

"Adam, you need to be gentler, these are people." 

Adam blew out a breath. He left the patient with his covers partially off and started for John. Rose stayed to straighten the covers before catching up. She wanted to tell him about John but wasn’t sure how to approach it. Actually, she didn’t want to tell him, she wanted to tell Sarah Jane, but that wasn’t going to happen that night. 

When she made it to John, he was again being difficult. Adam was openly struggling with him. He addressed her through gritted teeth as he tried to wrangle John’s arm. "Rose, you need to know that there is nothing you can do with these guys. It's all just stimulus and response. There's nothing there. I know it's romantic to think that they may wake up but stop living in the fairy tale." He looked up at her and smiled. "Now I know that John here is quite a specimen, but I think you should seriously consider coming out with me. I've been invited to a party with a bunch of the medical interns, tomorrow night. We can go after work. It’s going to be wild. But I promise to show you a good time. And you can go with a real man, you know, one that is awake and has a future. "

Rose balked, but before she could say anything, John reached over with his free arm and grabbed Adam's shirt in a death grip and pulled him over the bed rail to his face and yelled "NO!"

Adam scrambled and fought, yelping like a little girl and flailing. Rose reached out and helped loosen John's grip. 

Adam's yelping and John's yell attracted attention and several techs and nurses came running in. Rose backed up as they straightened John in bed. He was partially up now and fighting off the hands that were trying to help him. Rose went around him and quickly gathered her stuff,as t was in the way of several people at John’s bedside. She stood up and tried to watch what was happening, but when everyone was on John, she found herself being edged out. She walked backward, just taking it all in. 

John was struggling, but not saying anything intelligible. But then, when she was nearly out, his eyes met hers across the room. She stopped in her place. They were the same eyes that had looked at her so hopefully just minutes ago when she was reading to him. 

Then one of the nurses stepped into her view and John was pushed down to the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John's awake! But will he remember her?

When Rose got home, it was hard to settle. The events of the night had shaken her. Was John really awake? Would she come back to find him alert? Why had he reacted to Adam that way? Finally though, the events of the day and the late hour took over and she was able to sleep, but her dreams were filled with images of someone walking beside her. He was taller than she, but when she looked up at him, his face was too bright. She couldn't make out his features. He held her hand though, and she could feel that it was much bigger than hers. It was strong too. He ran his thumb along hers as they walked. 

They were talking, but somehow at the same time she couldn't hear his voice. Then, he squeezed her hand, she looked up and saw a face she recognized. It was John, and he had a little half smile looking down at her. 

Rose woke with a start. That was the strangest dream she had ever had. It was also the first time she remembered dreaming about someone like that. But of all people, John? That was the strangest thing of all. 

OoOoOo

The following day was a light class day for Rose, just one at 3:00, her other had been cancelled. It was nice, since she had laundry and general chores to do. 

She lived in a two-story house, while it may sound grand, was not. At one time it had been though. He father had bought it for her family after a business deal went well. Her mother had chastised him for buying it, saying that they didn’t need it and that it was a waste. But her father saw potential within its walls. Still it was borderline dilapidated at that time, and they never actually moved in. He swore that they would fix it up to all its former glory. 

After his passing, it had several tenants, including one that put a lot of work into it in exchange for being able to stay there. At the same time that that tenant was moving on, Rose was ready to move out of her mother’s flat and go to uni. She gathered all her worldly possessions and moved in to the house, opting to let a few of the rooms, mostly to cover costs, but ended up having some great roommates. 

They shared a big kitchen, basement and each had a separate bathroom. The problem was that the house was getting worse by the day. Many of the repairs originally done were still holding but new things cropped up daily. Right now, the washer was not working, there seemed to be a plumbing problem causing it. Rose just didn't have the money yet to bring in a repair man. On top of that, the outlets upstairs had an issue and they blew the breakers daily, sometimes several times a day. Then things were just generally breaking. She never knew what would come next. 

But they all needed a place to live and were willing to deal with inconveniences to not have to pay the high rent of other, smaller, places. Her tenants were: a young medical student, Martha, Rose’s best friend Mickey, as well as students Amy and Rory all living there. Everyone was in school in one form or another, except Mickey, who worked at a local car repair shop. 

Rose considered herself lucky to have such a great group living there. They tried to do dinner at least weekly together and everyone was generally respectful. She had thought about letting someone live in the attic for the extra money, as it was finished, but never wanted to commit to it in case it ruined the sense of community and mutual respect that they all had for each other. 

She lifted her overflowing laundry basket into the boot of Mickey's VW bug and closed it. He let her borrow his car all the time, mainly because his shop was just around the corner. Once she loaded the washers, Rose settled with reading assignment. But as she was rummaging for her book, she came across her copy of the “Philosopher’s Stone”. Her thoughts immediately went to John. She had a lot of work to get done, but now reminded of him again, couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to see him again. 

So, telling herself she had to finish her reading to a certain point, she promised herself she'd go see him after. 

OoOoOo

Rose made it to the hospital later that afternoon. She was not familiar with any of the nurses or the techs on duty that day, but it didn’t matter. She checked with the clerk and was told that he had indeed been moved to another room in the hospital. Now Rose approached his new room. She could hear a low voice, possibly two, inside. As she got closer, one got louder. "Hey, I’m gonna go for some coffee and a sandwich. I'll be back." The person talking had an American accent. 

She started to turn the corner into the room and literally ran smack into a hard chest. The owner of said chest was tall and his hands went to her shoulders. 

"Excuse me, well hello there!" said a warm voice. 

Rose looked up into the bright blue eyes of a very good-looking man who was presently smiling down at her. 

Stunned, Rose looked up. "Uh, hello. I'm looking for John?"

The man fixed her with a broad smile. "This is his room. Who are you?" Rose could feel an air of protectiveness in his words. 

"I'm Rose I'm ... I was there when he woke up. I just wanted to check on him."

The man looked at her, smirked, then looked into the room that held John. He nodded back into the room. "Hello Rose, I'm Jack, John's best friend." He stepped back to allow Rose entrance. As she passed him, she couldn't help but notice that his smirk went all the way to his eyes, which were shining brightly. 

Rose rounded the doorway and was met with a confused look from none other than a sitting up and fully conscious John Smith. Now that he was upright, she could get a better look at him. He still had shaggy dark hair and a scruffy beard, but he looked bright and alert. His slate blue eyes followed her into the room. He had a tray pulled in front of him over the bed the held four different colors of Jello and a spoon. Another container was empty. Next to the containers was a plastic liter container with a lid and a straw. 

Jack motioned for her to sit in a chair next to John's bed and Rose reluctantly did. She hadn't intended on staying, or maybe she had. Suddenly as she sat next to him, she didn't know what she had she had planned on doing. She was there, but she really didn’t not know the man or anything about him, save what Sarah Jane had told her. Yet he was staring at her, ostensibly confused about who she was. 

She looked at him. “How are you? I mean you look fully awake. Are you doing OK?"

Johns expression did not change, but he nodded slowly. 

Rose couldn’t help but smile at getting a reaction from him. As she did, she noticed some of the confusion drained from his face, and he took a more neutral expression. 

From behind her Jack spoke up. "Since my friend is apparently mute today, I'll fill in the blanks." He stood at John's feet. "He's doing better. He remembers almost everything. He’s just very weak. But his scans are all good."

Rose turned to him. "So, what are they doing if you don't mind me asking? I mean, does he just go home?" She heard John shift on the sheets at her mention of home. 

Jack shook his head. "No, he has to spend some time in rehab to get back on his feet. It's funny how months of being immobile can weaken your muscles. But after a stint there he will be out. We're working on the home part. " Jack didn't elaborate any further but turned back to John. "Hey, I really need that coffee. I'll be back." He closed the door behind him, but not before giving John a jaunty wink. 

After watching Jack, John's eyes fell back to Rose, then shifted to the cups of Jello before him. 

"So, they're letting try eating huh?" she asked. She looked back at his face and noticed the absence of his feeding tube. "Do you need help?" She stood up, but John had already grabbed the red Jello and opened it. He stared down at it for a few seconds and sighed. Then he took the spoon and dug it in. In the process of getting it to his mouth, a little chunk rolled off and landed in his beard. 

Rose, still standing next to him, grabbed a napkin right away and went to clean it. "Well, the more you eat the more you're going to get in this beard I suppose. Pretty soon you'll be able to store things in it, " she chided. She wiped once more at it, before he pulled away a little. His eyes shot back to hers and he put the Jello cup and spoon back on the tray. 

He had stiffened considerably. Rose noticed and couldn't help doing it herself. Without thinking, she had invaded his space and cleaned his beard, like she had been caring for him. But she wasn't there to help anymore. She was just visiting. That was weird enough, his former helper, sitter, now in his room alone with him. 

Then something else hit her. He hadn't said a word. In fact, he still looked a little bewildered at her being there, even more so now that she had fussed over him. Her stomach flopped. She looked back at his face, and his eyes were still on her, watching. There was nothing there, not even recognition, just his eyes searching. 

She felt a twinge of embarrassment go down her spine. Her pulse quickened. Why was she here? She came on instinct after seeing him wake, but now she was alone in a room with a man that seemed to have no idea who she was. She had to say something, the silence had stretched too long. So, she asked the first thing that came to mind. "Um, John, do you remember me? I mean you may not. I was just..." He didn't move. His eyes flicked in between hers, but he didn't say anything. Oh, this had gone horribly wrong. She had come here, and he didn't remember her. Now she was just some strange girl that wiped Jello off a guy's beard without permission. 

Suddenly she felt hot. A sting of what otherwise might be interpreted as rejection hit her like a punch to the gut. But it wasn’t rejection, it was him not knowing her, and she had just majorly invaded his privacy. 

At a loss for words and with no discernable reaction from John, Rose took two steps back. 

She tried hard to fight down the blush of embarrassment. "OK, well, sorry to bother you, I just wanted to check in. I hope you get better soon. " She scurried to the door and reached for the handle.

What she didn't see was the look of pure grief that followed her. John looked entirely panicked. She pulled the handle and was taking a step out, not turning back when he rasped out, "Rose!"

She turned in a flash, eyes wide. "Yes?"

"Come back, tomorrow?" has asked. His words were softer now, but gravelly, like he had just woken. Well, he had. 

"Really? You know who I am?" She asked, relief washing over her. 

"Yes. You read to me."

Rose couldn't help herself. She broke into a brilliant grin, the tip of her tongue sticking out barely from the side of her mouth. "I can read to you again if you like."

This time it was his turn to break into a wide smile. His almost made her giggle. It was the first time anything had met his eyes. He had the happiest smile she had ever seen. He nodded at her, answering her question. 

"Ok, then I'll see you tomorrow," she said accompanying her words with a little wave. 

From his bed he waved back, his smile still in place. 

OoOoOo

That night, Rose had a similar dream. She walked along the beach this time, hand in hand. This time though, she knew it was John. Also, this time she heard his voice. She couldn't remember all of the dream, but when she woke, she was happy and hopeful. What she couldn’t figure out was why. Was it because she was happy for him to wake? Or something else? 

She hurried through both homework and house chores. One of the steps on the main staircase was creaking badly and she looked at it, trying to figure out how to fix it. It looked like it needed all the wood around it replaced, but she wasn't sure. She did nail the top piece back down again, hoping that would help. She couldn't afford a handyman now.

It was past noon when Rose made it back to the hospital. She went up to John's room only to find the door open, but the room darkened. He sat in the bed, partially reclined, sleeping. She squinted at him. It was hard to see him, but he looked different. She didn't want to wake him, so she put her hand on the door jamb and leaned in the room. She must have made a sound, because his eyes shot open. Before she could react at all, he reached for a button on the inside of his bedrail and a light above him flicked on. He grinned at her, that same wide grin, and she saw it, his beard was gone. Her eyes flicked to his head, his shaggy hair was gone too, he now had a close-cropped cut. Both new things suited him very well. 

She smiled widely back. "Wow John, you clean up nicely. I like the haircut and the shave. "

John ran his hands over his head then to his chin. "Jack," was all he said. 

"Oh, Jack did this? Well tell him he did a great job. You look… great. I bet it feels good to not be scruffy anymore." 

John nodded. Though his voice was less gravely, Rose wondered if he was a man of few words or if he was suffering from a brain injury. But it did seem like he knew what he was talking about. Maybe he just wasn't that much of a talker. 

Rose sat by his bedside. "So, do you want me to read? Or we could do whatever."

John nodded again. “Can you read? Please?" 

So, Rose did. She read and John relaxed, not speaking any further. But the feeling in the room was companionable. They both were comfortable doing what they had done only days before, only now he was awake. 

Several chapters passed before there was a darkening in the doorway, there was a light knock and a nurse appeared. "Time for your physio, John!" she chirped, "I'm here to deliver you down to the rehab gym. Oh, and your friend is here. "

Jack popped up behind her. "Hello! Oh, Rose is back. John, I'll come back after your physio. Is that OK? " John nodded. 

Rose turned to him. "OK John. I'll see ya. I have to work again tomorrow. Would you like me to drop by before maybe? " She wasn't sure why she asked. Maybe it was because she hadn't seen anything around John that would indicate anyone had seen him other than Jack. 

"Please," John answered. 

"Cool, I'll see ya then."

The nurse came in with a wheelchair and before Rose saw something that she shouldn't, she hustled out. Jack was loitering in the hallway. "May I walk you out? " he asked.

Jack led her to the lift and let the doors close before he turned to her. "How do you know John again?"

Rose blinked at the forwardness of Jack's question. His tone wasn’t interrogating, but clear. "Well I was there when he woke up. And I was curious about how he was doing. Why are you asking me now? You seemed OK with me yesterday."

The lift landed on the ground floor and the doors opened. "Well yesterday you were just a visitor. But John talks about you like... I don't know. I needed to know how he knew you. I'm protective of him. He really doesn't have anyone and so I kind of look after him. "

They walked through the halls towards the parking structure. "Wait, John talks to you about things? I think I've only heard him speak four words in a row. "

"Yeah, he's not very talkative. At least not right now. But his words hold weight. A lot of it. He’ll get his voice back soon, in more ways than one."

"How’s he doing, can you tell me? His brain, I mean. Is he OK? I have no way to tell. I mean he seems to be there with me, but I don't know. "

Jack smirked. "He's little slow, I guess like he’s a little groggy, but he's almost all there. For instance, when you left yesterday, he wouldn’t let me do anything until I helped him shave and gave him a haircut. He's not steady on his feet yet but he insisted on going into the loo and getting it all done. I had to go right out and buy hair clippers. I thought he was going to strangle me because he was waiting so long for me to get back. Did you say something to him?"

"No, I just commented on him getting Jello in his beard, that's all. I wasn't even sure he knew who I was until the end. I'm glad I asked."

"Yeah. He knows you. He's very happy to see you. As you may imagine, he doesn't have many visitors. Just me and you to be exact. "

"One of the nurses said that he had a girlfriend. "

Jack huffed out a sad laugh. "No, not anymore. She left him right after the accident. I haven't even talked about her at all to him. "

"That's terrible."

"I know, but it gets worse. They had a condo, it was nice, I mean like magazine layout nice. When he went into the coma, she had his name taken off it and sold it. Since he's been awake, he's talked about going home a couple of times. I haven't had the heart to tell him that there is no home anymore. She moved back to Paris, taking his money with her. I hear she has a nice place there."

"Oh, I think I hate her."

Now Jack laughed. "I do. She treated him like shit before. Demanding this, having him do things he wasn't happy about. But from what he says, she was a voracious lover. She was also the model type. I mean all high-end clothes and everything. Super high maintenance. Not really like him. But I guess she did whatever for him that he needed. I imagine we'll get there soon enough to talk about her. But not now. I'll tell him about the condo, but the rest we will leave. He has a lot going through his head right now and I don't know how much he's able to process. "

They were getting close to Mickey's car. When they got there, Rose turned and leaned against it. "So, what happens now for John?" 

"Well he will go to a rehab hospital to get stronger until his release. I think it will be a week or two. In the meantime, I'm desperately trying to find a place for him. But again, we can’t talk about it yet. I'm trying to give him news and bridging the gap to reality slowly. But having friends other than me helps. Are you planning on seeing him again?"

"I hadn't really thought it through, but yeah. He seems to like it. And since he doesn't have anybody but you, it might make him feel better to have me visit. Unless he gets sick of me. "

"Oh, I think you are a great diversion for now. Any bright spot would be great. He's being moved later today to a rehab place about five miles away. Can I get you the address? He'll be settled by tomorrow. "

They exchanged phone numbers and Jack texted her the address. "I'll try to drop by before my shift tomorrow. But I'm only borrowing this car. I don't know how often I can see him, but I'll try."

"Anything would be great. Especially after I help him remember all the crap from Reinette- that's his ex's name. "

At that point the two of them said their goodbyes and Rose headed home. On the way she thought about her sadness for John and how he basically had nothing. What a horrible person his ex must be! It was interesting, she had thought John to be good looking even before he cleaned himself up. This part she shook off. It was absurd to think of a former patient in any way other than as a patient. And besides, she wasn't his type anyway. He clearly went for high maintenance women, and she was about as far as she could get from that. Her clothes of choice were a comfy hoodie and favorite jeans. She wore makeup, but not perfectly applied makeup. 

In some ways it was easier to distance herself from him, knowing that he would never be interested. What was she thinking anyway? John would just be a friend. Maybe not even that as he got better. Then he would go on his way to put things back together for himself and she would go back to uni and on with her life. 

That night, as Rose was reading for a class there was a crash and a scream. She came running out of her room, only to find that Martha had fallen through her crudely repaired step. Luckily, she sustained only a scratch, but Rose felt horrible. Then as if on cue, there was another yell from upstairs. Amy had been taking a shower and as she turned off the water, the whole handle and pipe broke off in her hand, water going everywhere. Rose had to turn off the water to the whole hose to try to fix. All she had been able to do was a temporary fix. She also was unable to finish her homework because of it. "This house will be the death of me, maybe literally!" she yelled into the air.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Well, John's awake now, and you have to wonder, where do we go from here? Please don't kill me.

The next day Rose had to work but planned her route so that she could see John. She would have gotten out earlier, but Martha stopped her to complain about her room not heating up properly. She was the farthest room from the furnace, so it was going to be cold, but the furnace needed service too. Rose ended up shutting the vents to her own room so that more warm air would go to the to other rooms. It wasn't a good fix, but it was a fix, at least until she could afford someone to come in and service it. 

She made it to the rehab hospital with about 30 minutes before she had leave to make it on time to work. The place was multi-level and had a large park behind it. As she walked up, she looked out to it. There were various people out there in hospital gowns or track suits everyone had someone else with them. It seemed that being outside was perhaps part of the therapy and she wondered if John was doing it too. The hospital, apart from being near a park, was next to an arts center as well. She could hear someone outside playing guitar in the distance. All in all, it seemed like a nice place to be. She walked through the automatic double doors in the front and into the spacious lobby. Inside it was pleasant and bright and her arrival was met with smiles from people at the front desk, so that was where she headed first. "Hello, I'm here to see John Smith. He arrived yesterday.”

The receptionist gave her a warm smile and a slip of paper with John's room number on it and directions to it, also pointing to the bank of lifts. Rose thanked her and walked over stepped in and pushed the button for the third floor. When the lift arrived, the doors opened to the middle of the ward. Two long hallways ran in both directions and Rose took a moment to acclimate, while also looking for room numbers. She started off in the direction of his room, walking around people that were also moving in the halls. As she went, she took it in but at the same time tried not so stare. She thought that he would be surrounded by mostly older folks, but instead there were patients all around that were her age or a little older. Some had amputations or were just in wheelchairs. Some had vacant expressions, yet some smiled at her. A few even made blatant passes at her. Nothing was in poor taste, but it was clear that girls her age weren't common as visitors. She walked down the hall she chided herself, of course the patients would be younger, that’s who was fighting the war. This wasn’t a nursing home, this was a rehab hospital. Its job was to give the wounded a second chance. 

When she got to his room, she took a breath before she went in. Her two visits so far had found him first bewildered, then sleeping. She wondered what was in store this time. She rounded the corner like usual, eyes finding the bed. It was empty. As she turned to ask, a tech came in holding clean sheets. "Are you looking for John?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh, he's down in the rehab gym." She looked at her watch. "He's got about 15 more minutes left. You can wait here, or some family goes downstairs to watch. I heard he had a girlfriend. That must be you." She fixed Rose with a warm smile then went about setting down the sheets she was carrying and then stripping the old sheets from the bed. 

"I'm not-" Rose started.

The tech continued. "Anyway, he should be done soon. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," she kept going like Rose hadn't even said anything. 

Rose turned to go. The woman was clearly busy, and the proper explanation would take too long. She figured that if he still had fifteen minutes left, he may take even longer to get back up, then she would only be able to see him for a few minutes before having to go. So, she headed back into the lift. 

Downstairs again, she followed signs to the rehab gym, and was met by sounds of multiple people moving and working out. She peeked around the corner and had to look for a minute to find him. The room was big, but also held a least ten patients doing various exercises. Her eyes made it to a familiar form, then she gaped. There was John, walking, his hands gripped tightly to parallel bars. His steps were hesitant, and he looked to be working very hard. Instead of the hospital gown she has always seen him in, he was in dark grey t-shirt and navy sweatpants. His shirt was soaked through with sweat and clung to him. It was only then when Rose noticed that he was actually fit. He must have been very fit before the accident. His arm muscles rippled as he slid his hands along the bars. He had athletic shoes on that looked brand new. 

Slowly, step by step, he made it to the end of the bars and turned to go back. His trip there to the end looked excruciatingly painful, and she could see that the therapist wanted him to sit in a wheelchair that was situated at the end, but he shook his head and turned instead. His face looked cold as ice, his eyebrows in a sharp V. Rose wondered if he would walk just on sheer anger alone. His hands were white knuckled, and his posture rigid, but he kept going. 

The therapist ordered the chair to be moved to the other side and someone moved it. It took John good five minutes to get there but he did it. Sweat poured from his face and he looked as if he would level one hundred footsoldiers with a look. But she had to give him credit, he was determined. 

When he finally made it to the end he stopped. He looked like he wanted to turn and do it again, but his legs buckled, and the therapist had to straighten him. As he was trying to stay upright, waiting for the chair to be maneuvered into place, John looked up and around the room. His eyes settled on her. His face didn't soften, he glared at her from clear across the room. Rose felt a chill wrap her spine. He wasn’t happy at all to see her. Not one bit. She took a few steps back from the doorway. 

She didn't know what to do. He had seen her. If she left now, what would happen? Jack had said that John basically had no one. But he obviously didn't want her there. Before she could decide, John's chair came through the door, being pushed by one of the therapists. John was rubbing a small white towel over his face as he got closer. She caught the end of the therapist talking. "- very good John. You've made some real progress. I think-"

"Stop," John uttered, now looking up at Rose. "She'll take me."

Rose eyed him in shock. She had been ready to bolt, now she was taking him back to his room? She looked down at him in confusion. "Hi John, I didn't want to intrude on our physio. I ummm," she stalled. 

"Can you take me outside?" he interrupted. Rose looked up to the therapist, still in the doorway. 

"Fine with me, he can go anywhere, just have him up in his room soon. He will need a shower."

Her eyes went back to John. His face was still hard, but not as bad. His eyes had softened slightly, anyway. 

"Sure, I'll take you," she said, coming around to push the chair, but he grabbed her arm. 

"Just get the doors,” he said. He had lowered his feet to the ground, and he walked them, moving himself. Rose watched him go towards a side entrance. 

"You better hurry, " said the therapist behind her, "he makes good time. He can't walk on his own, but if he wants to transfer to a bench or something he can, if you help him. He knows what to do. Don't let him walk though, if he falls, it’ll be hard to come get him. "

"Thanks, " Rose called over her shoulder, trying to catch up. 

She got to John just before he was at the door. She pressed the button for the door to open and without a word he wheeled himself out. It was a beautiful day and Rose took a deep breath of the fresh air. John was still motoring though, heading for several unoccupied benches. 

She jogged behind him. When he got there, he locked the wheels on the chair and pushed himself up on his arms. He had pivoted to the bench before she could lend a hand. Then he swiveled, laid back, and brought his legs to be on the bench too. Only then did he let out a long sigh. Rose hovered for a moment, watching him. He had closed his eyes and just laid there, breathing. He didn't say anything, so she sat on the bench next to his. 

Silence stretched between them. Given the look he gave her from the gym and his lack of response to her, she was growing more uncomfortable. 

At long length, John took a breath. He didn't move to face her but spoke. "Why do you come here?" His voice was no longer gravelly. It was smoother now but had a harsh edge. 

Rose fidgeted. She didn't have an answer, other than that she was curious about him. He was intriguing, in addition to that, even if she wouldn’t acknowledge it, he was handsome, and she liked seeing him. But she had to come up with something. Specifically, something that wouldn’t scare him into thinking she was a stalker. "I like visiting you, John,” was what finally came out. 

He seemed to take this in. She was watching him, really only seeing the top of his head, which he was currently shaking lightly. "You needn't pity me," he said after a minute.

"I don't," she said unconvincingly. She couldn't help it, she knew too much about his situation. She may not pity him, but she definitely was sympathetic. But he deserved it, he was defending his country and had an accident, then he was shit upon by the love of his life. Now he was here, recovering after being in a coma. He had nothing, and it was a terrible shame. 

"Listen John, I-" she started. 

"Jack told me that Reinette sold the condo. I don't know what happened there. I thought… I don’t know." His voice dropped off. 

"Reinette was your, um, girlfriend. "

He grunted. 

"John, I'm sorry." She wondered if he had figured out that she had left him too, but there was no way she was going to bring that up now. 

Without preamble, he sat up, putting his feet on the ground, eyes downcast. "I told you I don't need your pity." 

Rose felt that familiar cold chill. Her first impulse was to go, just leave. Nothing was holding her here. But something, she wasn't sure what, compelled her to face him. More than that, she got up and knelt in front of him. "I don't pity you. Instead, I hold you in high regard. You were unconscious, but now you're up, doing things. I visit you because I like to visit you. I like being with you. I don't do this out of pity. Lords know I have other things to do, but I'm here because I want to be." It wasn't the most eloquent rebuttal but given that she had no time to formulate it, it would have to do. 

He shook his head again. "Jack told me about you too. You don't have to come anymore. You don't have to take care of me. I’m not worth your time." With that he transferred back into his chair and unlocked the wheels. 

Rose was on her feet she jumped in front of him and he collided with her legs, not hard, but he looked startled. "You're wrong" she declared, staring down at him. 

His eyes met hers, but he didn't say anything. 

"You're wrong because I want to visit you. You’re nice, you make good company. I'm sorry you think that you aren’t worth my time, but you are. "Then she remembered how he looked at her when he was in the gym. "When you saw me when you were in the gym. That look you gave me... do you want me here? "

John didn’t break his gaze, but also didn't immediately answer. Then,"You barely know me."

Despite the standoff she smiled. "All friendships start out barely knowing each other."

Her smile faded when his face didn't soften. 

Rose stepped back, now shaking her head. "I don't know what to say to you. I wouldn’t drive clear across town to see you if I didn’t want to. I don’t pity you, I'm impressed by you. But I don't have time to sit here and try to convince you that you are worthy, I have to go to work now. The work where I met you. " 

His face didn't change. 

"So, I guess I'll see you around," she hedged, hoping he would say anything. He didn't. Just followed her with his bright blue eyes. As she turned to leave, he turned his chair to go back into the building. 

OoOoOo

When John hot back to his room, Jack was there, sitting on the bed. "Get off my bed Jack. I don't need any diseases you have. "

"Harsh," Jack replied, with mock affront. 

Again, before anyone could help, John transferred from his chair to the bed. 

Jack spoke up, "Hey, someone's supposed to help you, you know that, or at least spot you. "

"I don't need help." He kicked off his shoes, dropping them each onto the floor. 

"Where were you just now?” Jack asked, “You were supposed to be done fifteen minutes ago."

"Rose took me outside."

"Rose huh? I figured she'd show up. She’s something else."

"She's gone." John replied, deadpan.

"Wait, what. What did you do? An attractive, young woman who thinks the world of you wants to visit and you... please don’t tell me you told her off."

"No, but when she looked at me, I saw pity. She felt sorry for me. I can’t deal with that.” 

"I don’t know about that, I think she likes you."

"Leave it Harkness. I don't want to talk about it."

Jack crossed his arms. "Well I do. I don’t know what crawled up your butt, but you need to let go. She’s a really cool girl. She made time to come see you. "

John wiped his face with his hand, breathing out slowly. "She came when I was in the gym. They've got me up and moving now, but I almost fell. I looked up and she was peeking around the corner. I must have looked....weak. I didn't want her, anyone, to see me like that."

"You sent her away because of your pride? Geez, John, you’re recovering from being in a coma. I mean, you've only recently come back to this planet. You had an angel right there. I can’t believe you ran her off. She’s sweet, smart and adorable! I've also seen how she looks at you. There isn’t pity there, she likes what she sees. I mean, I have no idea if it's romantic, but it is fondness."

"It's because she feels sorry for me. "

"I think you are misinterpreting Rose, and you should also think that Reinette has not been back. But someone is coming to see you, Rose is."

"I think you should mind your own business." 

At that moment, a tech came in to help John with his shower.

OoOoOo

Rose got to the car after leaving John. She sat there, in the driver’s seat for a few minutes trying to sort out what had just happened. She had thought John was doing so well. He was up on his feet after being down for months. He was making miraculous recovery, yet all he could think about was that she felt bad for him. 

But she didn't. But maybe he was still suffering the effects of his injury. Maybe he was just tired or having a bad day. But maybe not. Maybe he really didn't want her there. As she drove out of the lot, she felt a twinge of guilt, as if leaving something behind. Maybe he was right. But an overwhelming feeling held tight. He was almost alone. He needed someone. And she liked spending time with him. Why couldn’t she be that someone? She didn't pity him, not at all. Perhaps he was feeling bad about himself, especially after she had seen him nearly fall, but why couldn’t he get past that? She liked being with him!

She already knew she wasn’t his type. But was friendship off the table? It seemed like now that was the case. He had shut the door. And though it was sad, it was his decision to make. 

She got to work just in time. She saw Adam on the way up, but didn’t talk to him, just made her way to the room. Like usual she fussed over the patients, but this time when she settled down to read, she missed John.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many of you complained that John was being an idiot. I hope this helps! Try to keep your "squeeing" to a minimum, it might disturb the others.

The next day the front step to the house broke, nearly dumping Rory into a hedge. Then yet another shower broke, this time in Mickey's room. It was becoming clear that Rose needed a handyman. And he or she would be busy. That next day she picked up a double shift. She was going to need money. 

In fact, she picked up as many shifts as she could over the next week. The emptiness of not having John there never went away, even when they got a new patient. Rose wondered about him daily, but between school and working extra, she wouldn't have been able to go anyway. Or maybe the extra work made it easier to justify not going. She knew John may have been just blowing off steam and he needed a friend, but he had sent a message loud and clear that he didn't want her around. With each passing day, she was able to convince herself just a little more that he had made the decision and she had to live with it. 

Five days later, Rose stood in her kitchen making shepherd's pie when her phone buzzed. She had been cooking for an hour already, planning to feed all her friends in the house. It was a peace offering of sorts. The house seemed to have more problems every day and she was nearing the ability to pay for someone to come but wasn’t there yet. Everyone was willing to try to fix and pitch in, but everyone was also on a tight budget and it was clear that a professional was needed. 

She put down the wooden spoon she was currently holding and reached for it. Frowning, she read it. It was a message from Jack.

"Hey beautiful, are you planning on coming by today?"

Well that was on brand. She could tell within minutes of meeting him that Jack was a hopeless flirt. She took a breath, not sure how write back. "I'm not sure what he told you, but he doesn't want me there. I tried the friend angle, but he wasn’t interested. So no, I had no plans to come today."

She finished typing and put the phone down. As soon as she did, it rang.

It was Jack.

"Hello?” She had to mash to phone between her ear and shoulder to brown some ground beef. 

"He misses you,” Jack said immediately.

"I doubt that. He made his opinion very clear."

"He’s been a depressed mess."

"No wonder. But he made it obvious that he wasn't interested in being involved in our friendship. I'm not going to force myself on him." She moved to the pie pans she had set up and went to grab the crust dough. 

Jack paused, she could tell he was walking somewhere, but he lowered his voice. "Rose, he has no one. I mean but me. But I have a problem. I have to fly out today and may be out for up to a week, maybe more. I don’t know who to turn to. He needs someone. I can’t just leave him."

One of the crusts tore and she huffed in frustration. She turned and leaned against the counter. “Jack, I don't know what to tell you. If I go, he'll be mad. He thinks I pity him. I don't. I legitimately wanted to get to know him. But he made his point. I’m not welcome there and I’m not going to push the issue."

"Please Rose, he doesn’t know what he wants."

"Jack…"

"Rose... please” he interrupted. “Come by today, I'll be here. I swear he’ll be happy to see you. Well I can’t promise that, but if nothing else, he’s not very fast so he can’t run away. I’m desperate."

"Jack, I'm busy right now."

"What are you doing that’s so important?"

"I'm making shepherds pies for my housemates."

"John loves shepherd's pie."

Rose blew out a breath. He was not going to let up. The worst part was that she knew that he wasn’t lying about needing her. She didn’t want to go. Well, that wasn’t true. She had wanted to know how he was doing but still felt the pain of him rejecting her company. "Fine. I'll come by in a bit. But if he gives me any grief, I'm out of there. "

"Deal."

OoOoOo

Jack had phoned Rose when John was down in the gym. After John showered, now unassisted, and dressed, also by himself, he sat in a chair next to is bed and dosed. Rehab was hard. Really hard, but it was working. He now could walk by himself, well mostly, and was doing all of his activities of daily living. It wasn’t always with the best balance, but it was all there. Now the physio people were working on strength. He would likely be discharged in a week. This news would have been great for anyone except John. He had nowhere to go. Jack was working on it, but not fast enough. His veteran's benefits were going to be… OK, not for anything fabulous, but maybe for a smaller place until he could find a job. Jack didn’t live in London normally, so he wasn’t an option. Lately he had been shacking up with a pilot friend. 

John’s attitude hadn’t gotten much better after he had dismissed Rose. In fact, he had been downright sour. He was very motivated in the gym, but not talkative. He made no effort to meet anyone around him or to talk if he didn't have to. All he wanted was out, even though there was no out to go to. 

Jack had been there all day and was annoying him too. He seemed to be giddy today, or at least since he had come back to the room. It was quickly making John want to strangle him. 

John had settled into the chair and closed his eyes only for a few minutes when he heard Jack get up and say hi to someone. 

John didn’t stir. Unlike him, Jack had made friends on the ward and was always talking to someone.

"John?" Jacks voice roused him from his light sleep. "You have a visitor."

John's eyes cracked open. It took a second to react to the light. At first all he saw was a silhouette. Definitely female, hair in a ponytail, jeans showing off curves. He blinked as the person came in the room. 

When she spoke he knew just who it was. 

Her voice was shy, not anything like the voice he had last heard from her. "John, I was making shepherd's pie and I thought you might like some."

Rose. Rose was here. Rose had come back after he had sent her away. His heart leapt. He wasn’t sure why though, but had no time to examine the feeling. A slight smile tugged at is lips. When she saw it, she broke into a much bigger one, the tip of her tongue poking out the side of her mouth. This made his grin widen. It wasn't the blindly happy grin he had given her the week before, but it was better. 

She held out a foil pie pan to him. He took it and set it on the table next to him. It was still warm. He lifted the lid and took a deep breath. It smelled wonderful. He let out an involuntary groan of appreciation.

He couldn’t believe he was doing it. But in those few moments from her arrival, a switch flipped. He was smiling, well kind of, but it was like when Rose was there the sun was out. "Thank you," he breathed. Rose held out a plastic fork and without hesitation he dug in. He groaned again with his first bite. "Thank you. This is good food here is terrible."

Jack spoke up. "It wouldn't be as bad if you ate it while it was hot, down in the cafeteria with everyone else. But you make me bring it up here. "

John didn't even acknowledge his friend, just continued to eat. 

Jack went over to John's bed, kicked off his shoes and laid back. John shot him an annoyed look but didn't say anything. "So Rose, what's new?" he asked casually. This got another annoyed look from John. 

Rose leaned against the wall opposite John. "Oh, nothing really, I've had to work extra lately. I live in a house my dad bought a long time ago. He was going to fix it up. We had a handyman living there for a while, but he left. Now I let the rooms to a bunch of friends. Their rent pays the mortgage, but the place is literally falling down around us. I'm working extra to try to be able to afford someone to come in. But I think it's going to be expensive. I have half a mind just to sell the place. "

Rose noticed John look at Jack, leveling a warning look. Then she saw a smile creep across Jack's face. John started to say something, but he had just taken a massive bite of food. 

"You know, John is quite handy. That condo he used to have, he bought it as a fixer upper. The place was nearly a palace when... when all this happened. " He motioned to John. John, in turn, swallowed heavily, giving Jack a murderous look. 

Before John could stop him, Jack asked, "You don't have any spare rooms, do you? He could work in exchange for lodging."

Rose paused, her thumb migrating to her mouth. 

John didn't let her answer. "Jack, no, we'll find a place." His face had grown red. He looked back down to the container he now held in his lap. It was almost empty, but he started to push the remnants of it around with his fork. He wasn't expecting what happened next. 

"You know," Rose said, "that just might work. I'd have to talk to my housemates about it, but why not? At my current rate, I won't be able to pay for anyone for months. When do you get out of here John?"

John looked up, looked to Jack then back to Rose. His eyes were bright, but he looked maybe a little sad. Rose knew how easily he got his pride wounded. "I get out next week, I think. I still have some work to do."

"He means, they need to make sure he can confidently live independently. They also want to make sure he's strong enough. But things are looking good. I think it will be early next week, maybe this weekend." Unlike John, Jack looked hopeful. 

"I'll talk to my housemates. Can I get back to you on it?"

John nodded, Jack beamed. 

John plunked the foil container in the garbage and looked to Rose. "That was good, thanks. I didn’t realize I was so hungry."

"No problem. If I knew the food was so bad, I would have brought you food much earlier."

John shifted in his chair then gripped the armrests and stood. Rose's eyes widened. He was wearing a similar dark t-shirt, navy this time, and navy track pants. These weren't baggy on him like the sweats had been. They hugged his legs nicely and Rose had to look away to keep from staring. His legs were long and lean, and she really wanted to take a longer look at them. 

Without thinking though, her hand shot out to steady him, even though he was still steps away. 

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm good," he said evenly, and her hand went in her pocket. His look softened. "Do you have time to come with me outside, Rose?" he asked. 

Her shyness returned in an instant, but she nodded. "Yeah, I'm off work today. No plans either. I'd love to come with you. "

John gave her another half-smile. 

Jack spoke up. "OK you kids have fun. Don't stay out too late, but seriously Rose, he's allowed to go but you have to be close. He won't ever say it, but he's not perfect on his feet yet. You may just have to help him balance. "

"Thanks, Mom," John grumbled.

"I'll take care of him, Jack," Rose assured. She then held out her hand to him. "Wanna hold my hand? It might help balance you. "

What John was supposed to do was either have Rose hold his upper arm or he would hold hers, depending on what he needed. But with a dainty little soft hand being held out to him, he couldn't resist. He grabbed on, interlacing their fingers. He turned back to Jack. "Don't get my bed dirty or I’ll murder you."

Jack snorted a laugh. 

Rose walked with John down the hall to the lift. He got a few looks from the staff including one, "Lookin' good John." Rose wondered just what all that was about. John held tight to her hand but did very well on his feet. They made their way down to the first floor and then outside. Soon they were to the benches that they sat at before on the day that it all went weird. 

Rose slowed. "Do you need to stop? she asked. 

"No, I want to walk as far as I can. The farther I walk, the sooner I leave."

John did really well walking on the path as they went deeper into the park. He didn't say anything, but never loosened his grip on her hand. One thing Rose did notice though, was that others that were out with patients either held onto gait belts around the waist of the patient or held them by the upper arm. As she started to put it all together, she looked up at him. He looked down, now grinning much bigger 

She blushed. "Holding hands is not the correct way to do this, is it?"

He raised his eyebrows. "It depends on who you ask."

They kept on until they reached the building at the end of the park. It was a big arts and cultural hall. He motioned to concrete benches around a fountain, then led her to them. he sat first, finally letting go of her hand. 

Rose closed her hand at the loss of his touch. She didn’t know how she felt about him taking it. But this was a confusing time for him, and he needed comfort. He needed friendship. Anything else would not be right. She took a seat next to him. 

After a few more minutes, John sighed deeply. Rose looked up at him, questioningly. "Rose I need to apologize."

"You do?" She knew what he was getting at, but had to say something, feigning ignorance seemed like a good idea. 

"Yes, I do. I know you know what I’m talking about. The last time you were here, I was... I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm really happy you came back despite me being that way. It means a lot. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."

Though she was looking up at him, he had his eyes trained on the path they had just walked. 

"John, I know you were frustrated. I can only imagine what you’re feeling right now. So much is out of your hands. But truth be told, Jack convinced me to come back. I thought that you didn't want to have anything to do with me. I'm not gonna lie, it stung, but I could see too that you might want to take this on without some annoying girl that you barely knew popping up all over the place."

John stopped. "Is that what you think? That I find you annoying?"

Rose didn't answer right away. Then, "Maybe."

This time John's eyes found hers. "I hate talking about myself, and people keep making me. I get asked constantly about how I'm feeling. I even have to meet with shrinks about my psychological health. It's maddening. But the hardest part for me was when I was struggling, and I saw you watching. I wanted to be good, I wanted to be better and you saw me at my worst. It was embarrassing." At the end he looked back down the path. 

Rose waited a tick. First, she had to get over the fact that he that just said so much and she had never heard him do that before. 

"I saw something different than you thought I saw,” she said finally. 

"Hm?

"I saw a guy who didn't want to give in but turned around and kept going. If you hadn't fallen, you would have even gone farther. A week or so ago, you were in a coma. Your body hasn't moved for months, yet you power through and keep going until your body says no. That is unbelievably impressive."

That caused him to look at the ground. She sat quietly next to him, a respectable distance between them. It was clear it was time for a change of subject. "So, John, how are you feeling? I mean overall? Are you alright? I know you hate talking about yourself, but can you catch me up?"

John didn’t answer right away, but she expected that. She actually wouldn't be surprised if he didn't answer at all. He let out a slow breath. "I'm always alright." The sentence held finality and she thought that was all he was going to give her, then he spoke again. He looked down at his fingers tented in front of him. "Stronger every day. Some things are fuzzy, others clear. I'm still figuring it all out. It's like a puzzle, but two puzzles put together. I'm putting one together and also picking out the pieces of a completely different one, but not knowing if the pieces are important or not."

"That's a really good analogy," she said.

He grunted his agreement. “I’m thinking clearly though. Now I’m just sorting out what happened before the accident and what I had been doing. It’s funny what you carry in your head. Like yesterday I remembered something I had needed to order before the crash. I looked on Jack’s laptop, it was still in my Amazon cart.”

"Wow, that’s crazy. And, physically? Any lasting injures?"

He shook his head. "No, that all healed while I was... sleeping. I’m just here now getting stronger."

"The sleeping...do you remember any of that? Do you remember me being there?"

"No,” he said a little too confidently. 

"But you asked me to read to you after you were moved. You had to remember some."

"No, not really." He sat up straighter, putting his face to the sky. What he had wanted to say was that her voice had pulled him from sleep. He had heard her, and it was a light at the end of the tunnel. He had to get to it. It took a while, but he got there. And when he did, he opened his eyes. The sight he saw was the most glorious thing in the known world. There was a beautiful girl sitting there, with the voice of an angel. He couldn't not wake up. But it’s not like he could say those words. Not now. Coming from him at this point it would be weird. For now, he would just keep that part to himself.

Rose sat in silence for a little while. But she had questions. "John, tell me, now that you are getting out, what are your plans? Do you have any? I mean beyond perhaps fixing our stairway. "

He wiped his face with his hand. "I don't know. When I was ...sleeping, everything was put on hold. I got some benefits and such, but now I need to retire, I guess. I suppose I could try to get back in since I'm better. I don't know. I might just try to put my life back together. I have to figure out what happened to Reinette. She's gone and I have no idea where anything is. And I don't have anyone's number that knows her. I'd like to get back to see her and see what happened. "

Rose felt a pang of something, she didn't know what, at his statement. They were friends, that was it. That was all it would ever be. She hopefully would be able to give him a place to live for a while. But he wanted his life back, he wanted his girlfriend. He was a real adult, who had a real job and a future. He wouldn’t be interested in a young student. She shook it off. He was a friend. 

John had said something. "Rose? "

"I'm sorry John, what?"

"Can you come tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I can, what are friends for?"

"Um, can you bring me food? I'll pay you. I mean for the food."

"John, it's no big deal. I cook all the time. I have to go back to work tomorrow, but I'll stop over before. Is there anything you like to eat?"

"I'm military, I will eat anything." There was humor in his voice for the first time ever. 

Rose smiled at him and found him smiling back. Also, for the first time since he was in this place, he gave her the smile that lit his face. That was the one she liked, one that made her smile back, matching his. 

"Good, I'll make water buffalo burritos then."

"As long as they aren't too spicy, I have a delicate composition." He leaned towards her and bumped shoulders with her. She bumped back. 

They both laughed at this. Rose and John realized at the same time that that had been the first time they had heard each other laugh. It felt good to share a laugh. Rose noticed a pinkness make its way into his cheeks. He had been so sullen, so devoid of anything, since he woke up, but seeing a true grin on his face warmed her insides. 

It was getting darker in the park, and though Rose could have spent hours just talking to him, they needed to get back. "I suppose we should get you back. It's getting dark. "

"Yeah."

John was up in a flash, surprising her. He was situated at her knees and held out his hand to her, wiggling his fingers. His smile hadn't faded. 

Rose suddenly felt shy once again but had no idea why. His bright blue eyes bored into her and his smile went literally from ear to ear. She took his hand, careful not to pull, even though he was offering to help her up. It took him a second to change direction, and she wondered if it was worse when he was tired. But with interlaced fingers they headed back up to his room. 

They didn't talk as they walked, but once up in his room, John kicked Jack out of the bed. He sat down hard and kicked off his shoes. He looked exhausted, but still wore that goofy grin. 

"Well you two look like you had fun," Jack remarked. "Maybe you'll sleep tonight, John. "

Rose raised an eyebrow and looked at him. 

He glared at Jack but turned to her. "I'm not a good sleeper. But I'm more tired than usual today, so maybe. "

"Well then, I hope you have sweet dreams John," Rose said. 

"I'll try." 

"Rose," Jack looked up from his phone. "You'll be around for the next few days? Can I leave your number with the staff just in case?"

"Yes and yes. Well, I need to go talk to my housemates, I better go. "

Jack hopped up and gave her a warm hug. He whispered in her ear. "Thanks for coming back. "

She squeezed back. Over Jack’s shoulder she could see a lost expression on John, which he was trying to but not covering very well.

Rose broke off her hug with Jack and went over to John. He sat up quickly. "I have to hug you too John!" she justified, "You're the one I came to see!" John wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, but just for a moment. 

Rose looked a little out of sorts when he let her go, not being able to interpret the intent of the tight, but brief, embrace. Maybe he didn't like hugging, maybe he thought it was not good to be hugging her if he still had a girlfriend. It could have been anything. But he watched her from the bed as she checked for her keys. "Goodnight boys, I'll see you tomorrow John. "

John gave her a wave from the bed, but Jack said, "Tag, you're it. I'll see you in a few days."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to ask the housemates about John, one of them is not entirely sure about it. Thank you for the comments so far! I'm hoping to push a few more this week. It depends on my week. Maybe it'll be charitable.

The next morning Rose was able to catch Amy, Rory and Martha at breakfast. "So, I have a proposition for you all," she said, sipping her tea.

She was met with grunts of morning understanding so she continued. "I have someone who might want to move in here."

Amy groaned. "Rose, this house barely can sustain all of us. If you add another person, we'll never have hot water, and will all freeze to death in our beds. That is if the stairs don't give way and make us all fall to our deaths." There were nods all around. 

"Yeah, but this is different. He would be our handyman. He renovated his own condo once. This may not even be permanent. He is just trying to get back on his feet, actually quite literally. He needs a place to go and is skilled. We wouldn't have to pay him. His room would be his payment."

"Who is he?" Rory asked. 

"He's my friend John. "

Martha leaned forward. "Wait is he that guy who woke from a coma? Is this Coma Guy?"

Rose nodded, more sophisticated words escaping her. 

"How long have you known him?" Amy asked.

"A few weeks," Rose answered, "but he's a good guy. Quiet, but nice. He was a medic and his helicopter went down. He got injured and was in a coma. I met him when he was waking up."

Rory stirred his tea thoughtfully. "Does he have any family?"

"No, I don't think so. His best friend, Jack, was been orchestrating a lot of his. Jack's a great guy too. But I guess John had a girlfriend that, once he went unconscious, had the condo that was in both of their names only put in hers. Then she sold it and moved to Paris. He has no one other than Jack. "

"How's he dealing with it all?" Amy chimed in. 

"I don't know. I'm not sure he knows all the details, but he had voiced knowing some. He's working really hard right now to get better. John knows something is amiss and mentions her periodically though. I think he maybe doesn’t want to talk about it when he is concentrating so hard on getting stronger."

Rory spoke up next, "So let me get this straight, some recently comatose, injured medic is going to live here and fix he place up. He doesn't know to what level his girlfriend screwed him over, and you barely know him but somehow trust him. Do I have this right?"

Rose frowned. "Yes."

Rory lifted an eyebrow. "Sounds legit to me."

Rose's eyes went to Amy and Martha, both of whom were looking at Rory. "Rory, are you serious?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, I mean if he comes with a recommendation from his friend, and Rose trusts him, what have we got to lose? He'll fix some things, and if he is a nuisance, we kick him out. He won't be paying rent, he'll be a guest, really. And guests you can ask to leave."

"He's got a point, "Martha said. "I'm willing to try it. How about you tell him it's for a month or something? Then we can see if it works out. "

Rose turned to Amy. "What do you think?" 

"I don't know. I mean I guess I'm willing to try it. But we don't know him. What if he's a creeper?"

"I don't think he is. I also don't think he'll stay long. But he has nowhere to go. I don't think the month trial is too much to ask. Can I tell him that he can move in?"

Amy nodded, "But you have to talk to Mickey. He's the hard one to convince. He's not the trusting sort. Especially when it comes to you. He's protective of you. Remember when he nearly punched Rory for putting his arm around you?"

"I do," Rory grumbled. 

Rose laughed. "Yeah, you'd think we dated longer than a few months. But John is not a threat to him. I'll convince him."

Rose took a nap after talking to her friends but woke in time to cook John spaghetti and make a salad. She even made garlic bread. But she also had a plan. One of her more devious ones. Mickey came home just as she was dishing up the food and putting foil containers in a bag 

"What smells so good?" he asked. 

"Dinner if you want some!" she chirped, "I made you a plate." 

Mickey all but ran to the table and took a plate offered by Rose. He started to shovel it into his mouth before he was even seated properly. "Mmmm," he hummed, "I'm really hungry."

He ate for a few more mouthfuls before he stopped, looking suspiciously up at Rose. "Wait, why did you cook?" 

"I felt like it."

"Babe."

"Ok, I have a favor to ask."

Mickey stopped eating. "Out with it."

"I have a friend, I've told you about him. The guy that came out of the coma. He needs a place to stay."

"No."

"Micks, he's adept at building and fixing. He’ll help fix the place up. He's a good guy."

"I don't trust him."

"You don't know him, I do. We can give him a month to see if he's a good fit. We need the help and it won't cost us anything. The others have already agreed to it. C'mon Micks. It's the right thing to do."

"Do you like him?"

"Yes, he's a friend. But I like him as a friend. I'm not his type. He has a high maintenance girlfriend that, well, took everything he had and left him. "

"That only tells me that he doesn't like you."

"Mickey, first off, you are not in charge of my love life, and second, I told you. He's my friend. That's it. "

Mickey looked down at his food, stuffed a large piece of garlic bread in his mouth and then spoke around it. "Fine, one month. But he better be good at what he does."

OoOoOo

Armed with the new plan for John, Rose took the food to him. Her time was limited, the talk with Mickey had gone long. After she had convinced him to let John live there, Mickey wanted to talk about work. Even though she didn’t know anyone he was talking about, she listened, more than anything to let him know that he was still also a big part of her life. 

She hurried up to John's room now but slowed as she got to the door. This was always the time when she had the most anxiety. There was always a little tickle of apprehension that he wouldn't be happy to see her. She bit it back and turned the corner. 

Then she stopped in her tracks. She was now looking at the slim, very muscular back of John Smith. He was putting on a t-shirt with his back to the door. There was also something more, his back was heavily scarred, one ran from his left shoulder to his spine. She could see the staple marks where it had been repaired, outlining it. There were many others too, about ten more. Some were big, others small. But all looked jagged. She wondered if they had all been from the crash. 

He slid the shirt down his torso, ending Rose's musings. Then he turned around and his eyes found her. "Hi," he said, nearly knocking her over with his brilliant smile, the same one that he had given her before. 

"Hi John, how are you doing?" 

"Better now." He looked down at the bag she held and then back up to her. "Did you bring dinner?"

"Yes, spaghetti, garlic bread, salad. I hope you like it." She handed the bag over. 

John took it. "I already do and haven't had any yet." He went over to the chair and moved some papers. They had writing on them. He set them aside then stopped. He then sat on the bed and motioned to her to take the chair. "I'll sit up here, you take the chair."

She did, glancing at the papers as he dug in the bag. "John, what have you been writing?"

He had just liberated the salad, set it aside and opened the spaghetti. He took a seep inhalation. "Mmmmm. That smells good. I was writing a letter to Reinette. But it was harder than I thought. I can't get my thoughts straight. I know what I want to say, but it's not coming out as good as I want. What makes it worse is that I don't know where she is or what she’s thinking, so it's mainly just me rambling."

Rose felt the now more recognizable pang. She needed to stop feeling it though. John was her friend. She swallowed. "Did you find her?"

He had found the garlic bread and was currently taking a bite. Unlike Mickey, John waited until he swallowed. "That's really good. Um no, but one of the nurses here told me to try to write something to her. If Jack finds her, he'll send it. "

Rose knew she shouldn't, but she had to ask. "Does she have any social media? I mean Facebook, twitter, snap-chat? It's pretty easy to find people now-a-days. "

John gave her a blank look. "Jack's working on it. I think she had some of that before everything happened. I never did. I wouldn't even know where to start. If I found her and just started talking to her like 'Hi, I'm out of my coma' it may scare her. She thought I was gone, that's why she moved."

Rose nodded. He was so sure that he had been left for benign reasons, but she knew better. Jack had told her. But it wasn't her place to tell him that she had left him too, taken his money and left. She didn't have a right to his military benefits, because they weren't married, but she had her fingers in a lot. 

Rose also noticed something else. John explaining things more. He still wasn’t that much in terms of conversation, but he talked for longer now. And he was using humor. He had changed so much since he woke, and she was beginning to look forward to every new stage. 

He seemed to get confused now and again, but caught up quickly. There were just moments when he gave her that look like someone who had just woken up. But in truth he had done just that. 

She watched as he attacked the spaghetti, he had taken several big bites when he gave a guilty look. "I should eat the salad, huh?" he asked.

"It's up to you," she answered with a giggle. 

He sheepishly put down the spaghetti and reached for the salad. Rose laughed. He was funny, she liked that he was giving humor out and also enjoying it when it was directed at him. Being with him was getting more and more enjoyable, not that it wasn't before. 

She did wonder, however, what would happen if Jack was able to contact this Reinette person. Would she come back, would they be a thing? And why did it matter so much to her?

Rose's eyes drifted to the papers next to her. She shouldn’t look, it was his personal letter, but it was hard not to. She was curious what he thought of her, and what he was writing to her. His chicken scratch took some interpretation, though, and without lifting the paper and examining it, she wouldn’t be able to read it. And that was going to be took obvious. 

When John was done, he thanked her profusely. "I swear I was going to starve in here. Do you have time to take a walk with me?"

"I'm sorry, John I have to go to work."

"Planning on waking more people up?" he asked nonchalantly. 

She laughed. "No, I think I only get one. But I got a good one, so there’s that. No one else even moves. "

"Do you read to them?" he asked, now not looking at her. 

Rose didn't know where he was going with it. But something in his eyes told her to not answer honestly. "No, that was just for you. I read quietly for now."`

"You should,” he said. He offered no further explanation.

Rose changed the subject. "Oh, I forgot. My housemates are willing to give it a try for you. I mean normally we all meet someone who is moving in then decide as a group, but given your situation, we'd like to have you try it out for a month there. You know, see if it's a good fit. If it is, you stay, if not, I'll help you find another situation. Will that work for you?"

John gave her a blank expression, and Rose panicked. He frowned a little and looked around the room, fisting the napkin from his food bag. "Yeah." He took a few breaths. "I get it, you’re all young, and I'm in a bad way. I'd say I'll just find another place, but I have nowhere to start. I'm sorry to ask for charity." His eyes were trained on the door. Rose watched as his jaw flexed. He looked very much like the time she saw him in the gym and had told her not to pity him. He was a proud man and needing help must be killing him. 

She wanted to tell him he was strong and viable, a vital person, but for some reason, justification wasn't what he needed. "It's hardly charity, John. You are my friend and that's what friends do, we help each other. But on top of that, you are helping me. I have no idea how to fix most of the stuff I do. It's possible that the house could be on the verge of exploding at any given moment. That's why I need you. I need someone with a clue to fix things. I basically just don't want to die. And you're the only person who is willing to not let that happen."

Surprisingly John laughed at that. His eyes came back to her. "It's not like it’s forever either. When Jack gets a hold of Reinette, we'll get it all straightened out." His eyes looked hopeful. 

Rose internally cringed. She wondered when Jack was going to tell him. He also wondered how John would take it, knowing that the house he had so lovingly restored was sold out from under him and his girlfriend ran away with the money. 

John broke through her thoughts. "I may get out before Jack gets back. Are you ready for me?"

"Oh, I thought Jack said he was going to be here."

"They extended his mission. He called this morning."

"Yeah, I'll be ready. I think. Crap, I better get up in the attic and clean it. I don't want you to have to sleep with any of my old stuff. My mum stored things up there. The last thing you need is to be sleeping with my old baby pictures."

She didn't think he would answer, as he had finished the salad and was going back to the spaghetti. But as she stood to get ready to leave, he mumbled, "That wouldn't be too bad."

Choosing not to acknowledge, she put on her coat. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

As she was leaving, he scrambled to stand up, moving the things he had out of the way. She waved and said bye, only to see his expression falter and him say bye back. She was halfway down the hall before she realized that he may have wanted another hug like she had given him last time. 

She was contemplating going back when someone stopped her. "Are you John's girlfriend?"

She turned to see a handsome male nurse behind her. "I'm not, well I'm a friend, I... how can I help you?"

"Well we are moving to discharge him, and I needed to talk to someone about making sure he has somewhere to go and somehow to get there."

"How soon would this be?"

"Tomorrow. We would evaluate him in the morning, and he has to meet with some of the doctors here, but he's doing really well and he's ready to not be inpatient anymore."

"OK, wow. I have to work tonight and tomorrow, I'll try to get my shift covered tomorrow. Wow, that's fast,” she sputtered.

"I know, this guy is nothing short of a miracle. To come back like that with only minor deficits is amazing. He'll be ready for discharge at three. Can you be there?"

"Yeah," Rose said, breathily, her mind already on the task at hand. 

OoOoO

That night at work, Rose was finally able to fill in Sarah Jane, who, sweetly found coverage for her the next night and found a way for her to get off early that night. Their conversation went fast but it was filled with motherly advice. 

"Rose, I always am cautious when befriending patients. The dynamic can be weird. Some patients can't see you as a real person, and you can't see them as a friend. It's hard to stop taking care of someone. "

"I get it. But I actually like John. I mean as a friend. He needs a hand but also is helping me. He's still very hung up on his ex. I'm not sure he knows she's his ex. He might, I haven’t really gone there with him. He just needs help until they can get his benefits all straightened out. Luckily his best friend is there too. He's facilitating it all. "

"Oh, I met him. Is he the dashing American?"

"Yes. He's really protective of John. "

Sarah smiled at her. "So, you think that you are doing the right thing?

"I do."

"Just be careful,” she said, laying a hand on Rose’s arm.

"I will."

OoOoOo 

Late that night Rose started on the attic. After an hour, she wiped her sweat and dust covered face. This was turning into a Herculean effort. She knew her mum had put some stuff up there, but there were also boxes upon boxes of her father's stuff. Not personal stuff, but bits and bobs, little pieces of everything. She did her best to stack it up, but there was no way she could get it all done. She still had to clean it and get a bed up there. it was not going well. 

Frustrated, she headed down the attic ladder for a shower, (most likely cold) and bed. 

OoOooo

The next morning Rose was at it again. She managed to get Mickey to help move the bed up, which was basically him lifting from below and her steering above. It barely made it. Mickey nearly fell off the ladder twice and it ended in a bit of a shouting match. But it got up there. 

"All this work for some creepy bloke we don't know. It's gonna be like a ghost in the attic. I betcha we'll end up kicking him out after a week. I don't need some weird dude skulking around my house. "

Rose cleared her throat. "Mickey, you need to relax, John is a good guy. He only needs help. I helped you when you needed a place to live and you've been here for two years. Get over yourself. He's not weird nor will he be skulking around. But if he can help fix things up around here, I'm all for it. Please be nice to him. You're both my friends. "

"If he tries , I'll deck him."

Rose smiled to herself thinking about just how much muscle John had on Mickey. "Oh, will you?" she asked. 

Mickey sniffed. "Yeah." 

After that, Mickey left for work and Rose climbed up to put some finishing touches in the room. The bed was a leftover from when she went from a twin to a double bed but was comfortable enough, if not a little small for him. She put sheets on it and an old duvet that her grandmother made but Rose didn't need. There was a desk already up there so Rose cleaned it, as well as an old dresser. She hoped John wouldn't see it and run. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to offer. Maybe Mickey had nothing to worry about, John may see this space and turn and run away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for John to go to his new home, meet the housemates and make revelations, as well as have some thrust upon him.

At 2:30 Rose went to the rehab facility. She had finished what she could in the attic but was so dirty she had to take a shower, cold, and hurry to see him. She found John sitting in the chair, writing on a pad of paper. His clothes were fresh, and his hair looked damp like he was right out of the shower. On the bed were two white bags labeled "Patient Belongings."

He looked up and gave her the smile she loved. "Hi Rose. I'm just waiting on final signatures and we can go." He set down the paper and pen and stood. 

Rose motioned to the bags on the bed. "Is that all you have?"

"Yes, it's all things Jack brought. Pants, socks, a track suit and a few t-shirts. It's all I have right now until we get ahold of Reinette. But it looks like my benefits are finally fixed. There were some confused people at Veteran's Affairs. I talked on the phone with them this morning."

Rose laughed. "Well, you went from comatose to not. I can see how that would be confusing. Are you officially um, out of the military then?"

"Believe it or not, when I had my accident it was to be my last mission. I was retiring. I guess I hadn't made that clear before. I went in young and wanted to get out when I could still travel. That's why I fixed up the condo. My plan was for Reinette and I go all over, to see the world. So, I'm all done for now. I'll be discharged, honorably. I get all the benefits. "

"I'm glad you woke up to get to do it."

His eyes found hers. "It's my second chance. I owe it to you. "

She looked away fidgeting with the string on her hoodie. "Hardly, it was all you, just hanging out until you were ready. "

John's face fell, he opened his mouth to speak again when a nurse came in. Rose turned to him, it was the same nurse from yesterday. 

"Well It looks like we're all set. Are you ready, John?"

John looked to Rose, smiled then back to the nurse. "Yes."

John signed a few papers and reached for his bags. 

"I'll can take those, so you can concentrate on getting to the car," Rose said sweetly. 

John huffed. "I'll take them. I'm good now." His voice was gruff. Embarrassment hit Rose hard. Of course, he wouldn’t want her to hold his bags. He didn't like being babied, not at all. 

"Ok, sorry. Yeah Let's go."

John carried his own things out and to the nurse’s station. Nurses and techs came out to say goodbye, and he gave hugs and high fives. When the doors to the lift closed, Rose noticed a silence. He stood calmly, but his face was shuttered. 

On the bottom floor he stopped at the rehab gym and said goodbye to the therapists. When done, he silently followed Rose out to Mickey's car. When she got to in and unlocked the doors, John stood outside just eyed the car. 

"It's really small,” he remarked sullenly. 

"It's bigger on the inside" she laughed, but his expression didn't reflect the humor. 

With a huff, John opened his door, folded himself into the passenger seat and sat, rather uncomfortably. The tension in the car almost crackled. John was upset, and she had an idea why. SHe hoped it wasn’t what she thought was. 

She took a shot. "John, what's the matter?"

John didn't answer. 

Using her sweetest voice, she tried again. "We're living together now, we have to be able to communicate." She had backed out of her parking spot and pulled onto the street. 

John took a long slow breath and turned to her. "What do you think of me?"

"Hmm? "

"Just what I asked, what do you think of me?"

"Well, you're nice, friendly, a good bloke, what are you looking for?" She glanced at him quickly but flitted her eyes back to the road. 

"I'm not your patient. Not anymore. I want you to stop treating me like it."

"I-" she started.

"No, don't deny it. You see me as someone to care for. I mean you wanted to pick up my bags. You assure me that you don't pity me, but your actions say you do. I'm not weak. I never have been. But if this is going to work, you need to see me as just some bloke you met at work. I can't live with you thinking you have to take care of me. "

Sarah Jane was right. This was going to be a change for them both. 

Rose thought for a moment and sighed. "I'm sorry, I got protective if you. But I do that with all my friends. But I'll try. I know you're good now. But I just don't know your limitations. Maybe we should talk about that. Then I will know when to back off."

John rubbed his hand down his face. He wasn't used to talking about any weaknesses. But he looked at Rose, she was genuine, caring. He looked her up and down. She was young, good looking, spirited, and a fun to be with. But on top of that there was an innocence, a wonder, like the whole world was ahead of her. This was very different from what he had had. Reinette was high class, high fashion. She had balked when John bought the condo and didn't want to move in until he had it nearly finished. Funny, he hadn't thought about that since he woke up. He thought about Reinette a lot, but not about that. 

Then he thought about the fights. She had her name on the mortgage but didn't want to pay her part or give up her flat. She wanted to go out and party, he wanted to stay in and work on the condo. They fought over money, they fought over friends. But he just couldn't get past the feeling he needed to talk to her. 

"John? Are you OK?"

John shook off his thoughts. He was going down a rabbit hole. That had been happening more lately. It was like his brain was revisiting old thoughts and he had to examine them again. "Sorry, I got lost a little. So yeah, my problems." He stopped. Although she knew he was recovering, she didn't know it all. But looking in the sad brown eyes that kept flitting between him and he road made him realize that she just wanted to know. " I really don't want to talk about it. "

They came to a stop light and Rose turned to him. "John, I get it. You’re a strong man, not used to asking for help. But we're going to be living together... and um, well I need to know what you are working on, to facilitate it. I won't talk to the housemates about it, not at all. Can you at least give me a little bit? Just so I know what's normal?"

John let out a long slow breath. He knew she meant well. But it still hurt. His face tightened. "Fine. My balance is still a bit off, and my muscle mass is down. I get overwhelmed easily and do better when it's quiet. Sometimes when things change quickly, it takes me a minute to catch up, but my therapists say that is going away. Is that enough for you?" His eyes were fixed out the side window and even though she looked, Rose couldn’t see his face. 

Silence stretched between them. John hadn't intended on the words coming out as short as they did. 

Rose blinked, blinked again, her eyes trained on the road. John had an apology on his lips when she spoke again. "Thank you. I know that was hard. But ah, I have to tell you. I walked in when you were putting your shirt on the other day. I think your muscle mass is just fine." She visibly blushed. 

John was quiet for a second then barked out a laugh. "Really? I'm recovering from a devastating injury and you're checking me out?"

The tension dissolved between them. "Well it was right in front of me. I know how to appreciate a visual gift!" Rose laughed back, "You're hot. I mean what was I supposed to do?"

"You think I'm hot?" he asked, the humor out of his voice. 

Rose balked. "Geez, John, I'm sorry. Was that too much? "

"No Rose, I'm OK with hot. You're beautiful and we're friends. I can live with that too."

Now Rose's blush intensified. "Well, you can add delusional to your list of problems."

"Why? You're beautiful. I saw it the first time I opened my eyes and you were there. Why wouldn't you think that? "

Rose didn't answer. She was saved by having to pay attention to driving. They had turned into a residential neighborhood with older houses. She pulled up in front of one. John looked out the window. 

The house was big, with a wrought iron fence around it. The fence was crowded with dead vines. It looked like it might have had a nice front garden at one point with planters around as well as a table on a small square of concrete like it may have been an eating area. Dead plants and overgrown trees also dotted the garden. Beyond all that,there stood a two-story house. In its time it would have been considered grandiose, but now it had taken on an “Addams Family” look. 

It had a steep roof attached with multiple high points, each topped with a metal spire. Even at first glance John could see it was in disrepair. Shingles were starting to come off the roof, the paint, several colors of it, were peeling or faded, and the front porch steps listed to the right. And all that was at his first glance. 

"It's not much, but it's mine." Rose said woefully. 

John was quiet again as he took it all in. Rose was watching him size it up, suddenly terrified that he would bolt. It was too much work to get it fixed. She knew that but had hoped John could help. But by seeing his expression reflected in the window glass, his mouth slightly open, his eyes roving all over, Rose was starting to think she should just drive him somewhere else. 

John suddenly turned to her, his face now alighted with a monster grin. It was the one he gave to her often, but somehow bigger. "It's perfect. I can do a lot here. I can't wait to start. It's going to be fantastic!” he nearly yelled. 

She couldn't even respond before he popped the door open, got out and grabbed his bags. She went through the gate after her and she had to hurry to keep up as he walked carefully but quickly on the uneven ground around the exterior. She followed him around for a minute, him muttering to himself. 

"John? Is it bad?"

"No, the foundation is solid. There is a lot to do, but I'm up for it. By next year it will be ship shape."

"Next year?" she asked. 

"Yeah, I figure that even when Reinette comes back I'll come to finish up. You're helping me, I'll help you. I'll finish before working on my place with her,” he said the last part while poking at a window frame with his finger.

Rose swallowed. He was committed to her house, and helping her, but his hang-up on Reinette was still a major issue. She wondered how long it would take him to realize she wasn’t coming back, and how far he would fall when he did. 

OoOoOo

Once she was able to drag John inside, she showed him around. The front door led to a parlor that they used as a living room, but the ceiling went to the second floor. A staircase, a broken one, led up the left side to the next landing. On that floor several doors could be seen. With the kitchen immediately to the right. 

"My room is here on the first floor, over there.” She pointed to the first room. “It's the master. I use the loo down the hall though, mine has a shower issue. Martha's room is off the living room too. Her room is always freezing. I think it's not insulated correctly, and the heat never seems to make it there. I closed my vent to make sure she gets some air. "

"So now you freeze?" he asked.

"Isn't that why blankets were made?" she asked back, offhandedly, walking towards the kitchen. "OK, here is the kitchen. The stove is tricky, and the back burners are terrible, but the front ones are good, and the oven is good."

"Should I be writing this down?" he asked, a hint of humor in his voice. 

"We'll make a list. You’re going to be a busy man, " she countered. 

"Busy is good. I only have rehab twice a week, so I'll need something to keep me occupied."

Rose continued on to show him the second floor. He was a little slow behind her, but the acted like she didn’t notice. He was probably just being careful on the bad stairs. 

Amy, Rory and Mickey lived on the second floor and she showed him all those rooms. Lastly, they came to the ladder leading to the attic. "Well here we are, your space. I hope you like it."

She went up the ladder ahead of him, then reached down to bring up the bags he still held. He then climbed up after her. It took him a little longer to make his way up, but he did. Again, he was being careful. In the meantime, Rose had put down the bags and flicked on the bare lightbulb that served as the only light source. 

Once in the attic John stood and looked around, his head barely clearing the ceiling in the middle. In the areas near the exterior walls he would have to be careful due to the slope of the roof. Slowly he turned, his expression blank. 

Rose panicked. "Uh, I tried to clean up for you. I moved a lot of stuff and made the bed. I didn't have time to clean up my father’s stuff. It's all leftover from his various inventions and, well, failures. It's mostly junk, and I can get it out of here, maybe even today. I know that you may need more room and who wants the bits and bobs of some failed-"

"Don’t you dare, I love it,” he breathed. "If you touch one thing, we're going to have words. It's perfect." His eyes met hers and he hit her with his enormous grin. 

"But all the stuff-"

"I need stuff. I'll go through all of it and see if it's usable. I'm a recycler of goods, you see. In fact, my favorite place for construction and remodel is a place called Erik's Building Supply. It's a maze of stuff that he has salvaged from other places. It's cheap, but if you're willing to dig, there are treasures to be had. I'll take you there one day. "

His excitement was palpable. Rose had to smile back. He looked happy. She was also glad he could be himself around her. He wore a mask around others, but inside she could see the man that he was. She only hoped he would be that man around her house. 

OoOoOo  
Rose left John to settle in while she went down to start dinner. She had planned a lasagna dinner for all of them so they all could meet him and he hopefully would get to know them. She loved her housemates, and they were a tight group. As a matter of fact, she had noticed lately that Amy and Rory were very tight, like they may be starting to be a couple. Not like that was a problem. She had dated Mickey for a little while, even when he lived there, but they figured out quickly that they were better off as friends. 

Even though she was on the ground floor, she could hear John moving around in the attic. She wondered what he was up to, but that was his space now. She couldn’t just intrude now, he needed to be able to make it his own. 

After a while, people started to come home from their days. Martha got back from the hospital around 5:30, Amy and Rory came back shortly thereafter. She was taking the lasagna out of the oven when Mickey ambled in. "Hey, is he here?" he asked reaching for a crouton off the salad she had prepared.

"Oi!" she yelled, slapping his hand, "Yes, he's up in the attic getting settled. I was going to call him down. "

With, that she went into the living room and called up. The attic door was still open. "John? Amy, Rory, Martha? Foods ready! Come and eat!"

There were scattered shouts of affirmation. She kept her eyes on the trap door to the attic and was about to call again after not hearing from John when she saw his feet on the ladder. Carefully he made his way down. When he made it to the landing he turned and smiled at her. That’s when she noticed he held a little bag in his teeth that he took with his hands when they were free. 

He was coming down the stairs when Mickey emerged from the kitchen, now munching on garlic bread he had nicked from the table. Rose stiffened as his arm snaked over her shoulders. 

John reached the bottom floor and stopped, taking them both in. Rose started to shirk away but Mickey held her to him. Not harshly, but firmly, as if staking his claim. 

"So, you're John," Mickey started, "I'm Mickey. "

John's expression soured. Neither of them held out a hand to shake. "Rickey is it?" John countered. 

Rose pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. John was winding him up.

"No mate, Mickey, with an 'M'. I've lived here for a while, I've known Rose for longer. "

John's eyebrow went up a little. "Well Rickey, I've known her for a couple of weeks. "

"It's Mickey. What did you do in the Army?"

"I was special ops. I also was a medic. I did a lot of things. What is it you do?"

"I'm a mechanic. "

"Oh, I fancy myself a bit of one too. Perhaps we can fix something." John’s voice was challenging.

"Yeah," Mickey deadpanned. 

Both men's eyes were locked together, neither moving. Then Mickey finally moved. "Is dinner ready babe?" he asked, turning, and leading her with his arm. 

Rose shrugged away. "I'm not your 'Babe'." She followed him, but not before she saw the slight frown that John now wore. She hadn't wanted a standoff. But Mickey had always been protective if her, even though they were far from a couple. But John's reaction was odd too. He was possessive for a guy who kept talking about his ex that he thought perhaps wasn’t his ex. 

Shortly thereafter everyone else joined them. John took a seat next to Rose, with Mickey on her other side. Martha, Amy and Rory all sat opposite them. They had tried to do dinner together at least once a week, but this was somehow more festive. The mood was fun, with even Mickey piping in, though Rose suspected it was a bit of a show. Her friends were a bright bunch, funny and smart and the conversations went fast but were hilarious. Rose noticed that John sat back and took it in more than contributed. In fact, she hadn't noticed him talking at all. He didn't look mad, but he just didn't talk. Amy had tried to drag him in a few times but only got single sentence or single word answers.

Near the end of the meal, she tried again. "So, John," Amy started, "What are your plans?

John looked up from his food. "You mean right now?"

Amy chuckled good naturedly. "I mean you can’t want to stay in a house with all us crazy people. "

John glanced to Rose. "I'm going to finish my rehab and get a place. "

"So, your other place is gone?" she asked. Rose flashed a look at her but saw Amy’s good natured curiosity and didn’t stop her. 

"I guess when I wasn't waking up, she, my girlfriend Reinette, sold it." He was now glowering at his plate. He took a breath. "But I bought that place and fixed it up, I can do that with another one. "

"What about your stuff?"

"It's probably in storage somewhere. Jack, my friend, is working on it. Once he finds her, we'll get this all straightened out. She just doesn’t know I'm awake. "

"You don't have contact with her?"

He poked his fork at a piece of pasta but didn’t pick it up. "No, Jack tried to call her, but her phone number had changed. We didn't have many mutual friends, or any, actually. But Jack'll find her. She just doesn't know." 

"You said that," Amy countered. She looked at him softly. "Well John, I for one, am happy to have you here. This old house needs some TLC. "

There were general words of agreement from the table. 

Except from Mickey. He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out then interlocking his fingers behind his head. "So, there's something I don’t understand," he began, garnering a warning look from Rose, which he ignored. 

John turned to him. 

"Mickey, I-" Rose started.

"Just give me a second, Rose," Mickey interrupted. "Let me get this straight. You lived with this woman, off the base, and fixed up this condo." He looked to John. 

"Yes," John agreed.

"You nearly get killed and go into a coma, and she sells the place and puts your stuff in storage or whatever. "

John didn't say anything, but Rose could see redness inching up his neck. 

"She takes the money and moves to Paris, and you can't get a hold of her. What makes you think she wants to be found? It sounds like an escape plan from where I'm sitting. She duped you, man. She's not going to come back now that you're back from outer space."

"Mickey!" Rose hollered, "That's not nice. We don't-"

She was interrupted again, but this time by the sound of John's chair scraping against the floor. His face was red, and his eyes were flashing. But he looked down at her. "Rose, thank you for a nice meal. I have things to do."

With that he left the kitchen with five pairs of eyes following him, but five mouths not knowing what to say. 

They all turned to Mickey. “Not cool, mate," Rory said. "the guy's just been through a major trauma and you go and squash the only hope he is hanging onto? That's brutal."

Mickey didn’t waver. "He's in a fantasy land. That woman ran away with his money. She's not coming back. He needed a reality check."

Rose stood now. "Not from the likes of you! " she yelled. "That was low, even for you. "

"Yeah, " Martha said. "He hasn’t done anything to you, and you had to sucker punch him. Classy." She stood too.

Amy got up. "Mickey... you're a knob,” she said, beginning to pick up plates. 

With that, Mickey retreated. He didn't defend himself anymore but left with a face of righteousness. 

The remaining housemates stayed to do dishes. They did so in relative silence, talking about the chore, not the elephant in the room. They made quick work of it, and Martha left to study and Amy had to take a call. That left Rory and Rose. 

After drying the last of the plates, Rory leaned against the counter. "Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Mickey's an asshole, but you know he's not wrong, right?"

Rose sighed and landed next to him. "Yeah. But I wanted John to get there on his own. He's had such a shock. He needs to get back to reality, but he's getting there. When he first woke up, it took him a little while to get his bearings. He’s gotten better and better every day, but Jack didn't want to shock him right away. It's not like we kept it from him, but he needed to get there naturally, and spend the proper time on walking again and stuff. He'd have gotten there. But I didn't want to talk to him about it. It's not my place. I like him, you know, as a friend. He's a good guy. "

Rory looked at her knowingly. 

"As a friend, Rory. "

"Uh huh." Rory's eyes drifted to the other counter. "There's a cheesecake over there that I was not aware of. Is it a special cheesecake?"

"Do you mean is it for something special? No, just for dessert. "

Rory beamed at her. He went over and cut a piece for himself and one for Amy. "I'll just... deliver this..."

"Oh come on Rory, I've seen you look at her. You are the definition of puppy eyes. Just bring it to her. And please, remember that these walls are not thick. I can hear everything."

"Rose! I'm a gentleman!" Rory countered in mock affront. "Thank you. But I think you should bring some to John. He has no idea how amazing your cheesecake is, and he needs an education. And probably a friend. "

"I know, I also know that he has a temper. Especially when he thinks that you pity him."

"So tread lightly."

"Thanks, Rory." She kissed him on the cheek. 

Rose cut three pieces of the cake, dropped one off for Martha, then carefully climbed the stairs to where the trap door was to the attic. There was only one problem. It was closed. The ladder was attached to and folded from the door that swung down. But as far as she knew, it had to be pulled down from the bottom. The pull string to the door was still hanging down though. She set the plates down and pulled the string, opening the door, and then carefully unfolded the ladder. At any time had she heard a protest she would have stopped, but there was no sound. She did notice that there was nylon rope tied to the ladder at strategic places. John had rigged it to pull it up without having to have someone do it from below. 

Holding the plates in one hand, she ascended the ladder. The interior of the attic was dim, the overhead light not affording too much brightness. There was another light though, one at the desk. She recognized it as one he mother had in her bedroom as a child. The lamp itself was pained with rainbow stripes and it had a shade covered in pink butterflies. John must have found it and set it up. He was hunched over the desk now, tinkering on something. 

"John?"

He didn't respond. 

Rose walked around the bed and over to him. She set the plates down next to where he sat and placed a hand on his shoulder. His hands stilled on his project. Then he looked up at her. His eyes were red rimmed, but not wet. Yet his blue eyes looked sunken somehow. He looked back down to the thing in his hands. It looked like some sort of outlet. 

"I brought you some cheesecake," she ventured. 

He picked up a screwdriver, Rose wondered where he had gotten it. 

She sat in silence next to him while he attached wires and screwed in screws. After a minute she saw that it was an electric outlet. He set it down and picked up some component of something else and started to fiddle with it. 

Rose let out a breath. This was going nowhere. She stood, placing a hand on his shoulder again, and turned to go. 

She had made it to the trap door when his voice sounded. "I'm not stupid. I know that Reinette took my money and took off. I know that I sound like a lovesick kid."

Rose turned. His eyes were on her. This time they had tears in them. She walked back to the bed and sat, not saying anything. This was his time to talk, not hers. She looked at him hopefully. 

He wiped his hand over his face, smearing the tears down his cheeks. "We- we were having problems before the accident. She never liked the condo. She wanted something new, but I thought I could make it nice. I did, it was a great place; all new fixtures, totally rebuilt in places. It wasn't enough. She was going to leave me. On the morning of me leaving on the mission, we had a massive row. That's the last time we talked. I know that she left. But I have nothing right now. Nothing at all. I keep thinking that if I can talk to her, we can get back something. I couldn’t go back to everything I had, even if I wanted to. My career is over, I know that they won't take me back, not after something like this. I have nowhere to go. She is the only thing that remains. I have to see if I can get any of that back. Those letters you saw me writing. They were apology letters. They were also my attempts to write down my feelings. But in writing I found that I didn't know what to feel. All I know is that I need to talk to her. "

"You're wrong. You don't have nothing. You have me."

He gave her a watery yet unconvincing smile. "You know as well as I do that you’re doing this to be nice. Giving me a place to live so you can help me out.

She started to say something, but he held up his hand. "I know you want to tell me that it's not charity, but it is. I get it though. At least I can help you out around here. But I also know I need to move along once I get my life straightened out. Don't think I'm not grateful, because I am-immensely. But you need to give me time and space. I'll fix things, I'll do whatever you need, but I need some space. Is that OK?"

"Yeah, I'll give you what you need, as long as you are willing to ask for help if you need it. I'll be your friend, just promise to talk to me?"

He nodded. "I promise."

She smiled and turned, walking to the ladder. Before her head disappeared as the climbed down, she said, "Tell me what you think about the cheesecake."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of scary, a lot of sweet.   
> My posting may get a little funky this week because of life... but I'm ahead in my editing, so you may not notice. I just thought I'd cover my bases.

The next morning, Rose got up an got ready for class, but when she went to go looked for John, he wasn't there. the ladder was down, but he wasn't around. She ate, put up a "Fix List" on the refrigerator for everyone to write on, then went down into the basement to retrieve a load of clothing from the dryer she had forgotten about. She noticed right away that things were different in there. The first thing she noticed was that it was much tidier. Her mother had stored more things down there, but Rose now could see that the was a workbench that was now cleaned off, its tools hanging from the pegboard in the back. John must have been in here, but she wondered when. The cleaning and organizing must have taken hours. Well at least he had tools to use. She saw various sizes of hand saws and what might be a table saw in the back. It was draped in plastic. 

She went to school as usual and came home with a few hours before work. She had hoped John was back, but he wasn't. She even looked in the basement. It had evidence of work, and now the table saw was out with fresh sawdust on it. She went up to check the attic and only made it three steps up the stairs when she noticed that the stairs were nearly silent and definitely not broken. He had fixed them. New, non-stained wood now was were the old wood had been. He had worked quickly. But Rose was left to wonder how he had worked so fast and how he had gotten wood back to the house without a vehicle. 

With time passing, Rose cooked dinner. She made two portions, hoping John would show back up, but when he didn't, she put his name on it and put it in the fridge. No one had been home at all, which was not unusual, but today it was especially lonely. She wanted to see how John was faring, talk to him, but hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him. 

It was getting towards time to go and she went to go reach for Mickey's keys. He usually left them on a hook in the kitchen for her. This time, they weren't there. Normally he told her if she needed to take the bus to work, but he hadn't communicated with her at all. Confirmation came when she looked out onto the little driveway next to the house and found it empty. Mickey had never had a problem with her using the car, especially now that she got out of work so late. She even put gas in it and helped pay for oil changes. 

"SHIT!" she growled. Now she ran the risk of being late. She grabbed he bag and ran out the door. Maybe if she was lucky, she could make it. 

She didn't. Her first official write-up at work was for being 15 minutes late. She wouldn't have been if Mickey would have said something. They had had a good system worked out and she couldn’t help but wonder if he had deliberately taken the car because of things with John. 

Work had gone OK. Adam was still being a jerk, still wanted to date her and still made her want to punch him in the face. The patients in the ward were the same, no new developments. She brushed hair, talked to them and read out loud, but it wasn't the same. She missed having John there. She knew it was quite possibly because she hadn't seen him that day. She just hoped he wasn't wallowing in self-pity somewhere. 

Rose ended up getting out of work late. The primary reason was because Adam had insisted on doing something else before coming to take the vital signs of the patients. Then as if that wasn’t enough, the next girl that was to come and sit was hung up talking to Sarah Jane. The result was that Rose missed the last running bus. She could take the tube, but the walk to the station this late at night was dangerous and she wasn’t willing to take that walk alone at night. She looked at her phone and cursed, she only had 5% battery. She had to make a decision fast. 

So, even though her wallet protested, she ordered a ride service. People did it all the time from the hospital. There was a concert venue and some bars and restaurants and clubs close, so the people that offered the rides were always close. 

It turned out to be another bad part of her night. 

The car pulled up a few minutes later. It was the right make and name plate on the car, but the driver looked different. Maybe it was just a bad picture. She halted for a moment when the window rolled down. “Hi!” the driver called. “Did you call for a car?”

Rose bit her lip. Well, it was that name of the person and the correct car. Maybe it was a bad picture. She was tired too, just wanted to get home. With a sigh, she got in the back seat. Right away she figured that she had made a poor decision. As the car drove away she was assaulted with a terrible smell. It was a mixture of cigarette smoke, possibly weed and most definitely alcohol. The driver didn’t talk but kept looking in the rearview mirror. All she could see was his eyes and the back of his head. He didn’t even turn his head when talking. All she could see was his dark eyes, nearly black, and a mop of curly hair. 

The guy drove like a maniac too. Not only did Rose put on her seatbelt, but she had to hold on for dear life. All the while he asked questions with increasing creepiness. "Is the address you gave me where you live? Are you married? Do you live alone? Do you want this ride to be a standing one? I can pick you up every night if you want."

Rose did her best to give noncommittal answers, whilst plotting getting out. Her next look at her phone confirmed its demise. But she had an idea, the made a fake call. “Hi Mum, I’m in a car. Here let me send you a pic of the info.” She fiddled with her phone for a moment then put it back to her ear, trying her best to hide the fact that it was dark. “Yeah, I should be home soon. Keep an eye out for me will you. OK, see you in a bit!” 

It was difficult to maintain her seat in the car, he was driving so fast and erratically. The only good part of this was that when his questions started again and he had become even creepier, he was pulling up to her house. The car pitched to a stop and she looked out the window in both relief and discomfort. She was home, but also, he knew where she lived, no one would be up because of the late hour. He went to open his door to get out and Rose all but bolted from the car. She could hear him following though, and him say something about making sure she was safe. "I'm good, she called over her shoulder, thank you!" 

As Rose hurtled up the front steps not even hearing them creak. She could hear his footfalls behind her, causing her to push herself to the door. She jammed her key in the lock and ripped open the door as she heard his feet creak on the front steps. 

She propelled herself into the living room, only to be met be a very startled John sitting on the couch, working with something. He was up in a second and to her. All she said was, "Man!" and pointed. John was out the door in a flash, and face to face with the driver. 

"Can I help you?" John asked, his casual voice belying his intense glare. 

The driver looked up to John and shrank a little. "I just wanted to make sure she was-"

"She is safe, protected, and you are trespassing. Leave now or this will not be a good situation," John said, his voice now terrifyingly cold. 

The driver's retreat was fast. So fast that Rose heard John chuckle. He closed the door, bolted it shut, and came back to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He had never done this before. But Rose clung to him, burying her face in his chest. "Are you OK?" he asked, into her hair. 

"I think so, he just scared me,” she said, pulling away a little. 

John separated with her to arm’s length. "Why didn't you tell me you needed a ride?" 

"I didn't know I did. I didn’t see you today and Mickey took his car and forgot to tell me. I got off work late and missed the last bus. So, I ordered a car. Then my phone died. He was so scary. " The words came rushing out in a jumble. 

He pulled her to him again, so close she could hear the thud-thud of his heart. She hugged back too, taking in his warmth. It felt good to be held and he wasn't letting go immediately either. After about a minute though, he brushed his hands down her back. "I'm sorry that happened. I'll call the company in the morning and report him for you if you want, in the mean-time, put in something on the app so no one will pick him. Also, I'll get you from work from now on. It's too dangerous.” 

They broke apart. "Thank you." She brushed her hair behind her ear, recovering from being held, then went to the kitchen and used the “community charger” and plugged in her phone. She waited a few seconds for it to power up then brought up the app. She frowned at the screen and John came up beside her. “That’s funny, it says that he’s inactive. I can’t even leave a review. So, I guess we can call in the morning. She looked back up at him, he was inches from her. Just his presence next to her calmed her considerably. He wasn’t touching her anymore, but he was very close. 

"You don't have to feel obligated to get me from work John. I’m sure it was just a mix-up with Mickey. I’ll just be more careful in the future. Plus, if I get off on time, I don't have to worry about anyone waiting for me.” She stopped, looking up at him. “Wait, how would you get me anyway? You’d have to ride the bus or something over."

He smirked. "Oh, I didn't tell you. I bought a truck."

Rose's mouth opened and closed. "You bought a truck? When?"

He smiled broadly, the smile she had come to like so much. "Today. So, I was up early, and I caught a bus over to that building supply, Eric's. He and I were talking, and he said he had a whole lot of wood that was near pristine that someone had left over from a build and gave to him. I told him I would have to figure out how to haul it and he offered up an old truck to borrow. I looked it over, gave him an offer and bought it on the spot. "

Rose smiled back at him, enjoying how when he was excited, he could talk so much. "So, you bought it, just like that."

"Yup. It needs a ton of work. I basically limped it here. but I've already got it running smoother. So, I'll come get you." He was still grinning from ear to ear. 

Shook her head lightly. "John, you don't have to. You don't owe me anything. And don’t say that you do."

His smile slipped a little. “I want to. You've been good to me, I want to help you. Is that OK?"

She sighed. "I suppose. But you don't have to do it every day. I don’t want you to feel obligated."

"But I will," he said, looking down at her. Even in the low light his eyes were so bright. 

Rose felt a little tingle go down her back. She took a breath, feeling as if they were on a precipice of something. Not knowing where to go next, she unplugged her phone and stepped back into the living room. He followed closely. She came up to the couch and looked at where he had been sitting. She moved a little closer, eyeing the vehicle part that was in pieces on a tarp that was draped over the coffee table. "So, what are you working on?”

"Oh, I'm just rebuilding the alternator,” he replied casually.

"Just rebuilding the alternator... in my living room." She gave him an exasperated smile. 

"You won't even know I was here, hence the tarp. You have to know, this stuff is easy for me. I can do it practically with my eyes closed. It's the social stuff I hate, talking to people. Car parts are black and white. People are all over the place." He sat back where he was when she came through the door. 

Rose plopped down next to him. "I know. But people like you, you're a good guy."

"Am I?"

"You are. "

He hmphed and picked up a piece of the part, turning it over in his hands. 

Rose sat for a minute with him, then leaned her head on his shoulder. He stiffened ever so slightly then relaxed, leaning towards her. "Aren't you tired?" he asked. 

"Aren't you?" she countered.

"I don't need much sleep, never have. But I also figure I've had enough to last for a long time over the past few months. "

"How long do you need? I mean, nightly."

"A few hours a night usually. It drove the nurses at the rehab hospital batty. I kept coming out of my room. It was dicey before I was steady on my feet. But a few were really cool, they'd help me out then let me sit at the nurse’s station and talk to me. It was nice to have adult conversation again."

"Yeah, no one was reading kid books to you..." Rose ventured. 

John turned sharply. "You reading to me was perfect. Just what I needed. In fact, I wouldn't object to you reading to me more. You know, if you have to read for class... or something. "

She smiled. "But not Faulkner."

"Huh?"

"You hated when I read that to you."

"Ok, I'll take your word for it. The first few days when I was waking up, I was pretty fuzzy."

"I know, but you knew what you wanted. And you were fuzzy, in more ways than one." 

 

He turned to her. “What, you didn’t like my beard?” His face was serious, but his eyes shone with humor.   
“You can’t fool me, Jack told me that you had wanted to shave and get a haircut.”

John chuckled, a low rumble. “You should have seen it. Two grown men crammed in the loo, me sitting on the toilet, him running the clippers over my head then my face. I tried to shave then, but I couldn’t stand for long enough only holding on with one hand. So, he sat me back down and shaved my face. We made a terrible mess.”

Rose chuckled then. “I’m glad you did it though. I like seeing your face.”

“I-“ he stalled, letting out a little whisper of a breath, as if he let out the thought that had sprang to his lips but for some reason couldn’t articulate. He knew that he couldn’t not finish. “I couldn’t be scruffy anymore. It was all about getting back closer to what I was before.” He was lying and he knew it. 

If Rose suspected something, she didn’t act like it. She just rested her head on his shoulder again and sighed. 

John gently moved her head off his shoulder and stood. Rose looked up in surprise. But rather than escaping, he held out his hand. "OK Miss Tyler. Off to bed with you. It's a school night."

She took his hand and he pulled her up. When she stood, she was inches away again. But John stepped back. He still held her hand though. He led her to the door of her bedroom, where he stopped. "Here you are, safe and sound. Now sleep tight." His eyes met hers, and he took in a little breath. His eyes fell to her lips, but only for half a second. Then his hands came up and rested on either side of her head and he leaned in. Rose's heart jumped. What was happening? She closed her eyes in anticipation but then felt his lips on her forehead. It was a gentle brush. But it made her heart lurch. Then it was over, and he stepped away. 

When she looked up again, he wore a shy smile, one which Rose had no idea the meaning of. She didn't know what to say. 

He spoke though, as she was processing. "I'm so glad to have a friend like you. You're the good person, Rose Tyler." He was still smiling when he turned back to the living room. 

Rose stepped back into her room, now completely confused. He had kissed her, but on the forehead. She knew what that meant. It had been clear. Or had it? Maybe it was a sign, but also maybe not. All she did know was that despite being tired and emotionally drained, it was hard to shake the feeling of his lips on her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One step closer. It's a little step, but a step indeed. Thank you for all your comments, you all make me laugh.  
> This is a big chapter, but I'm not sure I'll be able to put one up this weekend. So savor this one!

Rose was hot, sweating, underneath her heavy duvet. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, kicking it off. She struggled with wakefulness. Sitting up, she scratched her head and looked around her eyes falling on her phone. She picked it up and "ughed" again. It was early, well not early, but it was for people who work late. Slowly it dawned on her she was warm. Normally she needed to put on a fluffy dressing gown immediately after getting out from under the duvet. The house was always freezing, but on that day it wasn't. 

Since she was up anyway, she opted to get coffee. In the kitchen she found Martha, eating breakfast. 

"Hey Rose, " her friend started, "I'm not sure what he did, but for whatever reason, my room was very comfortable both last night and this morning. John fixed something.”

Rose brightened. "Me too! I didn't hear anything, and he didn't say anything, but it was nice in my room too. "

Rose was reaching for the coffee pot when she heard a yell.

"Rose? GET UP HERE!" it was Amy. 

Rose sprinted up the stairs. Amy met her at the doorway to her room, wrapped in a towel, her bright red hair damp and crazy, like she had just hand dried it.

"What's wrong?" Rose gasped. 

Amy smiled. "It's not what's wrong, it's what's right. C'mere." She took Rose's hand and led her into her ensuite. The first thing Rose noticed was that the antiquated stand up shower that had been in there was no more. Instead, it was replaced by a glass walled shower with all new fixtures. 

"Wow," Rose said, not knowing what other words would fit. 

"I know! I fell asleep in Rory's room last night, so I just saw it right now. "

"Wait you fell-"

"Focus!" Amy yelled. "Look at this! It's beautiful! And I had hot water for the entire shower. It didn't stop half way. I kind of want to take another shower just to see how long it lasts. John must have done this while I was at class. This is insane! It looks so good."

Rose looked around. It was very well done. John hadn't said anything about it. That meant that he bought a truck, fixed the steps, fixed the heater, as well as Amy's shower and did something to the water heater, all in the same day. That wasn’t counting any work he did in the basement.

She heard the front door open, turned and went to the top of the steps only to see John come in. He was in workout clothes and looked sweaty. He looked up at the landing with her on it and smiled broadly. Her smile. 

She called down, “You've been busy!" then she came down the stairs to him. "I thought Amy was hurt, but she was just screaming about how she loved her new shower. What did you do to the hot water?"

John's smile faltered a little. "Well the hot water heater just needed rehab... I mean for now. I'm looking into a tankless system. It would be better for here. "

"You shouldn't be spending money on stuff though. "

"Why not? I'm not paying rent. I have money saved and will be getting checks again soon. Do you know what a house like this would cost per month if it was mine? Way more than the cost of repairs, at least so far. If I had a place even fraction of his size for myself, I would not only pay about the same, but I wouldn't have such great company as yourself."

Rose blushed, looked down, realizing at the same time that she was still wearing her jim jams, a tight camisole and big fluffy snowman pants. 

"I like the outfit, by the way," he said, smirking, "very fashionable.” 

Rose crossed her arms over her chest, both in defiance, and after noticing just how thin her camisole was. She looked around the room. "Well I better get in the shower myself. I’ve got school then work."

"Will you be home before dinner?" he asked.

"I guess so. I have to leave a little early to catch the bus."

"Ok, two things," he finally caught her eyes. "First, I'm taking you to work. Second, I'll cook dinner. "

"John-"

"I insist... on both. Then I will pick you up. I may not be able to drop you all days, depending on therapy, but I'll always pick you up. I can't have someone hurting you. It's not safe. "

"But-" 

He leveled a look, his blue eyes stopping her in her tracks. "I'm not swaying on this, Rose Tyler. You think you can be obstinate? You haven't seen 10% of me doing it. "

"Fine," she grumbled, "for the time being only. You are under no obligation to keep it up."

"Good!" he chirped, his face alight with his brilliant smile again.

OoOoOo 

After a day of classes, Rose was dragging. She hadn’t slept all that well last night, her dreams filled with questions and indecision. Basically, anything her subconsciousness could throw at her.

Each step she took from the bus stop felt like ten. But when she pushed open the gate in front of her house, she stopped and looked around. Perhaps it was the fact that the gate didn’t make its normal painful squeak, or the fact that dead plants didn’t reach out with dry branches as she walked, but she noticed a difference. 

She turned, taking it all in. Firstly, many of the dead plants had been cleared from the iron fence. In fact, all of the dead things had been removed. The result was a rather barren landscape, but not a dead one. The difference was now there was potential, not depressing deadness. 

When she got to the front steps and stopped. They were new. He had built new steps! He must have just finished because she could still smell the stain on them. But she took a step up and it was solid. She shook her head, he certainly worked fast and so far, everything he had done was very well. 

She shook her head, who would have known? The man was some sort of fixing machine. 

Suddenly the exhaustion of the day dissipated, and she turned the front door knob, stepping inside, only to he hit by a wonderful smell. Dinner was cooking. When she closed the door, John came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a towel. "Hi there! Dinner's in five minutes!" He smiled hugely and went back into the kitchen. 

Rose had to resist the urge to attack him with a hug, but the mixed signals of the forehead kiss and the subsequent restless night caused her to opt out. "I'm going to change for work, I'll be right there!" she called after him. 

Rose put her bag in her room and got dressed quickly. The house was still nice and warm and something else. Less drafty maybe? 

She went back into the kitchen where John was busy at the stove. "What'cha making?" she asked, sidling up to him. 

"Tonight, it's tacos. Tomorrow it's chicken tikki masala. I have a menu up on the wall there," he indicated with his head. "I posted it, so that anyone who wants to eat can put their name down and they can join in. "

"John, that's too much. You’re buying groceries, and all that. I mean really."

John grabbed a frying pan off the stove and turned, heading to the counter. "It’s nothing. It's nice to have someone to share meals with. You're been so generous."

"But you've been doing so much. Wait, I forgot to ask, why is it not as drafty here?"

"Oh yeah, I've been sealing around the windows. I also need to look into replacing insulation. That's my next project. But I've been ticking away at the others." He looked at the list hanging up. 

Indeed, he had been crossing off things. There were little happy faces and notes of thanks on it too. There now had been things added to the bottom too. 

"You've been really busy. Thanks for doing it all."

"My pleasure, Rose Tyler, now let's eat." He turned his head out of the kitchen. "AMY!" he yelled, then sat next to a startled Rose. He looked at her sheepishly. "Oh, Amy wanted to eat too."

Rose sat at the table. "John, thank you. I can't tell you how nice it is to have things done around here. It was beginning to become a problem. I was thinking of selling the place. I wouldn’t have gotten much for it though. You’re turning it back into a place I want to be."

"Rose, I like doing it. I like to work with my hands. It makes me feel good. I needed a purpose after getting out of the hospital. You gave me one. I should be thanking you." He sat next to her. 

"Well then it's a good match. I needed... someone... and there you were." She blushed under his gaze.

"So we both needed someone." His words were closer to a whisper than anything. He was close, very close again, so much so that she could feel his breath. 

They were both suspended in thought, staring at each other, completely unaware, when Amy came in. "Oh boy is smells good in here!" she exclaimed, oblivious to the energy crackling between the two sitting at the table. 

Rose and John shot back into their chairs, both turning in alarm to Amy. "What?" she asked, grabbing a taco shell. 

"Nothing, " Rose muttered. John didn't say anything. 

Like any dinner with Amy, it was lively. She always had stories to tell and before long had both John and Rose laughing out loud. Rory came home later and ate any leftovers. John cooked a lot, so it wasn't a problem. 

"Well, we better get going." John said, "Just leave any dishes, I'll get them when I get back." He stood.

"No way Jose," Amy said, "You cooked, we'll clean." She threw a napkin at Rory, who was still stuffing his mouth. He hummed an agreement. 

With that, Rose gathered her work things, and John pulled the truck around. He was standing outside of it to open her door when she came out. 

It was an old truck, but seemed to run well enough, well it was a little rough, but not too bad. Inside she was surprised to find the upholstery intact and it pretty good shape. John gave her a hand up into her seat and handed her the seatbelt. 

He moved to the other side and got in. "John, this is a nice truck. I thought it would be in worse condition. 

He chuckled. "It was, believe me. I just got the new front seats today. I couldn't have you resting your bum on exposed springs. That just wouldn't do. I went to the junk yard when you were in class. I found the same truck but with better seats. I also got a few more parts. I'm glad you like it. "

"I do! And it runs pretty well." 

"Yeah, I've been really working on it. I went out after you got home last night and put a few more hours in it. It's coming along. The problem with an old truck like this is that it's hard to anticipate what will fail and when. I have to be meticulous and go through everything, but I think I can make it work. I have a friend who would find really old trucks in junk yards, and he would fix them up. then he would sell them to rich old guys, mostly Americans." He laughed to himself. 

Rose was watching him, seeing his face light up as he told the story. He stopped at a stop light and looked back at her, seeing she was staring. 

"What?" he asked.

Rose smiled, her tongue peeking out the side of her mouth. "I like hearing you talk. When I met you, you were a man of few words, well technically when I first met you, no words, but after you woke you didn't say much. It makes me happy to see you passionate about something. I like your stories too. "

He blushed severely and cleared his throat. Rose also reveled in her ability to frustrate him like that. "I uh, it takes me a little while to get comfortable with people. But I'm comfortable with you. You'll be telling me to shut up before too long. "

"Never," she beamed back at him. 

John kept his eyes on the road now and she could see him swallow. Noticing his embarrassment, she started again. "Hey so, are you going to sell this truck after you fix it up? I know that's a big task, balancing it with the other things on your list. "

He recovered and grinned. "Nah, I'll keep the truck. And if I work on it at night It'll be done in no time. "

"At night though?"

"Yes, it’s quiet, I like it."

She turned to him. "John, why don't you sleep?"

His hands tightened on the wheel. "I told you, I'm not that much of a sleeper."

"But why?"

There was a long pause. Then a long breath. "I've seen a lot. I've done a lot. Not all of the things I'm proud of. Those stick with you. I don't rest easily."

She looked up and saw the street light reflected off the slightly shiny scar that ran down the side of his face. It was funny, she didn’t ever see it in normal daylight. But there it was, a reminder of his past life. She wondered if it was from his accident or from something else. "I remember when you were in the coma. They told me to sit by you because you moved a lot. That's why I was there. You calmed when I read to you. Were you having dreams?"

Another pause. "I don't know." He had a finality to his last statement that made Rose not say anything else. She just let his last words hang in the air between them. He was tense, his hands not loosening their grip on the steering wheel, even as he had been so comfortable only seconds before. She could see his jaw working too, the tightness of it showing all the way to his eyes. 

She turned back to the road. John had demons, that was for sure. But he wasn't going to talk about them. Maybe farther along in their friendship he would tell her. 

Their friendship. That was an enigma too. They had both proclaimed that they were friends, but here and there, John was getting closer. The hug the night before had been incredible. Rose could have held on forever. He was a good hugger too. So warm and strong. It felt so good. She hadn't had a proper hug in so long. But then he kissed her on the head. Then at dinner, he sat next to her, rather than across. Then there was the moment that was broken with Amy. What if that moment had gone on? Would anything have happened?

John wasn't a patient anymore. He lived in her house, interacted with her friends. He made her dinner and stepped up when she needed him. If she really thought about it, having him as more than a friend wouldn't be so bad. He was attractive and nice, as well as chivalrous and sweet. But he was still sorting things out. He had a lot of unknowns, especially when it came to his ex. He still talked of her like she was part of his life, but then admitted he knew the truth. She wandered if that matter would resolve itself, and how. She hated to see him be hurt again, but also if she was gone for good, Rose could entertain the idea of seeing him as more than a friend. 

She felt the truck stop. He was parked in the hospital drop off area. "We're here." he said. His tone had gone back to conversational. 

She looked to him. His jaw had loosened somewhat. "Thanks for the ride. Are you sure you want to get me tonight?"

"What else do I have to do?" he retorted. 

Rose wasn’t sure how to answer, or where his answer was coming from, or if it was just that, an answer.

"I can take the bus or a cab."

"And repeat last night? I think not." This time he turned to her. As his eyes fell on her his expression relaxed, as if seeing her was the potion he needed to let go of what he was holding to tightly to. "I'll see you after work." Now his voice was calm, warm even, and he had a hint of smile. 

"OK, I'll see ya." With that she got out of the truck. 

“Rose!” he called after her.

“Yes?”

“I completely forgot. When you were at class, I used Amy’s phone to call the ride company. I told them what happened, and they put me on hold for a long time then a supervisor came on.”

“Ok…”

“Rose, he said the car had been stolen. The real driver stepped out and someone stepped in. His phone was in the car with your reservation on it. That’s how he found you. I gave him a complete description of the driver and I’ll have to probably fill out a police report. But that wasn’t the driver you were supposed to have. “

Rose swallowed. 

“You need to be careful,” he said, his eyes pleading. 

“I will,” she said back, her heart speeding up. John stayed at the kerb until she was in the building, then she could hear the truck accelerate away. 

OoOo

That night, while Rose sat at the back of the room reading quietly, Sarah Jane came in. Rose looked and smiled at her friend. 

Sarah Jane pulled up a chair. “Things are pretty good up here tonight, so I wanted to check in. How goes life with John?”

Rose sighed. “That’s a loaded question. How long do you have?”

“About ten minutes, talk fast.”

Rose giggled. “Well he’s amazing. He has already fixed so much and made the place more comfortable. Every time I turn around, he’s done something else. Everyone is really pleased with him, well except for Mickey.”

“Oh, he’s the one you used to date, right?”

“Yes, he’s a little territorial. But everyone else loves John. He’s gone and bought a truck now and is taking me to work and picking me up for safety sake.”

Sarah gave the “come on” gesture, leading to a quick synopsis of the night before. 

After Rose had finished, Sarah Jane took a second to let it soak in. “OK, first I’m glad you are safe and hope that the situation wasn’t another attempt at something bad. “

“Agreed.”

“And you’re following up on that.”

“Yes.”

“Ok, now I want to talk about the other part, the more complicated part.”

Rose nodded. 

‘We’ve talked about the issue of befriending a former patient, but it seems like you’ve moved past that.”

“It’s a non-issue, mostly because there are no real visible signs of the coma left. I mean, I see things from time to time, but no one else does.”

“So, by all accounts it has moved into a friendship.”

“I suppose.”

Sarah Jane rubbed her hands together as if thinking. “So now the issue is that you two are getting closer and you don’t know what to do about it.”

“You got that from just this little bit I told you?”

“I’m smart and I know how these things work.”

“So, what do I do? I don’t know if I have feelings for him, but I know that I want to find out if I do. He seems willing too. It’s not all me. But then again, he could just be protective. But I can’t help but think there is a little something more than just a friend vibe.”

“There very well may be more to it. But, unlike a normal bloke, this one comes with a truckload of baggage. His life has changed dramatically in just months. He almost lost his life, he lost the woman he was committed to as well as all his belongings. Then he has someone step in to help. She’s beautiful and kind and gives him a place to be and people to be with and he feels needed. Even for a normal person, this would be a lot to process. My advice is to give him some time to sort it. Do what comes naturally but let him lead. I’m all for woman’s rights, but this is a special situation. You will arrive to conclusions much faster than him. I think he’ll get there, he just needs to wade through the swamp for a while. The best thing for you to do is just be present and not jump to any conclusions. Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Let things happen, but don’t be disappointed if they aren’t on my timeline. Is it OK to ask him, you know, to see if I’m even on the right track?”

“Yes, but be prepared for a non-answer or a flat out “no” for now. John sounds like a great guy. Enjoy yourself and enjoy him for now and don’t be discouraged. It sounds like he needs to straighten some things out.” Sarah Jane stood up and patted Rose on the arm. 

“Thank you,” Rose said, “I needed a sounding board. I mean if I don’t know how I feel, I can only imagine what he’s going through.”

“Agreed. Now I have to get back before Adam makes a complete mess of everything.” With that she left Rose alone. 

After it all, Rose was just as confused, but now with a whole new list of rules to allow John to find his way. 

OoOoO

At the end of her shift, Rose stepped outside the hospital and found John, leaning on his truck in the exact place he had dropped her. 

"Did you wake anyone up tonight?" he asked with a smile as she approached.

Rose mirrored his grin. "Nope, everyone is sticking with it. I only had the one, and you blew the curve."

John laughed and opened her door for her, and she climbed in. 

"I have a surprise for you," he said, pulling onto the road.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. But I'm not telling you what it is, you have to see for yourself."

"Ok then."

As she got in, Rose heard another car and glanced around. It looked as if the driver turned very quickly out of her vision. She shook it off and climbed in the truck.  
OoOo

The ride home was much better than the ride to work. John was a little easier to have a conversation with, asking about her night and her schedule and so forth. They even talked about a major lighting project he was undertaking. "John, if you light the place better, we'll need to replace the carpets," Rose said.

"What? why? " he asked back. 

She laughed, "Because we'll be able to see all the stains now. "

He laughed back, reaching out to push on her shoulder. But his hand rested there for a moment, then another moment. He only took it down when he pulled the truck into the drive of her house. 

Rose felt the loss when he moved his hand but busied herself gathering her stuff. He met her at the front of the truck and walked her up the steps to the house, opening the door and ushering her in. 

Rose stepped in. It was warm inside, but a different kind of warm. Then she heard a pop. Her eyes shot to the fireplace at the end of the room. "You fixed the fireplace?" she gushed. 

A bright fire burned behind the metal fire screen that was in place. She had never seen it before, in fact, she had never even seen a fire in there before. 

He sunk his hands in his pockets and smiled complacently. "Yup. I had to clean the chimney and displace some very unhappy birds, but it wasn't bad."

"We closed the flue when we heard the birds. No one ever did anything after that. Thank you, it's wonderful. "

He smiled his special smile. "And all for you. I need to keep you warm in this old house. I mean I can't hug you all the time."

Rose froze. Her eyes looked up to him, and his face was smiling still, his eyes on the fire. It was as if he had no idea what he had just said. 

Even after hearing Sarah Jane’s advice, she couldn’t help herself. She had to know, if for no other reason than to know to stop herself. "John?"

"Yes Rose?"

"What's happening?"

His eyes left the fire and landed on her. "With what?

"Us. I mean, I guess I need to get it straight. "

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Suddenly Rose felt goose bumps raise on her arms. She had been wrong. She also should have just waited. She had jumped the gun. Maybe this was just how he was. Maybe the things that she thought were affection were just elements of his personality. Maybe she was making something up that wasn't there. Had she been imagining it? She drew a long breath. It was time to either be highly embarrassed for reading something into nothing or be validated. She was thinking that it was going to be the former. "It's just that you have been, I don't know, getting closer. You're going things. It may just be you. I don't know you very well yet. This is stupid. I'm sorry. Just forget it. I'm just tired. I'll see you in the morning." 

She turned to her bedroom, but as she went to step, he caught her on the arm. 

"I don't know either," was all he said, glancing down to were he held her, but not letting go. 

She waited. 

His eyes flicked back to the fire. "I have a lot going around in my head right now. "

"So, you've said, but also, I get it." She almost said something about talking to Sarah Jane, but suddenly wasn’t confident that he should know she was talking about him to another person. 

"I'm sorting it. But one thing, I'm drawn to you. I don't know what to do with that yet. I'd like to see where it leads, but I'm not sure I'm ready to go there yet. " He let go. 

"You just woke up,” she said, her arms wrapping around her body. If John didn’t know better, he might have thought it was due to a chill in the room.

He nodded to her. "I did. Maybe that's it. I need time to figure out where I stand in this world. I don't have a girlfriend or job here. It's the opposite of what I had. I think I need some time. "

"I'll give you as much as you need. I just wanted to know where we were so I don't go anywhere I shouldn't."

"That's fair. Can it just be natural? Can we just go slow and see? I'm clearer by the day as far as figuring things out. Working on the truck and around allows me to think about things. "

"You think about things when repairing things? Is that safe?"

"Yeah, that's when I do my best work. My mind is a little weird. It likes doing two things at once, sometimes three. "

"Wow, I can barely do one thing at a time."

His hand found hers. "Don't sell yourself short, Rose Tyler." He squeezed. "You are one of the smartest people I've ever met. But everyone's minds work differently. I work well with several 'tabs" open, you know? You don't. Even in the quiet of night and working on the truck I have to have a radio on too. The quiet just means I don't get bothered. But doing that doesn't mean I'm smarter, and it certainly doesn't mean that you aren't smart."

"Hmph, you can think that if you want."

His hand abruptly left hers and landed on her opposite shoulder, pulling her into a side hug. "Please don't do that. I'm in awe of you. "

The urge to brush off his compliments was almost overwhelming. For some reason he thought she was something she wasn't. But Rose resisted saying anything. She just stood there with him in silence. 

They both stood there, lost in thought, his arm around her until Rose yawned. "Well, you may not need sleep, but I do. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, he breathed, his arm dropping off her shoulder and finding her hand again for a quick squeeze. 

They let go of each other, but their eyes found each other at the same time. Rose moved towards her bedroom, backward, watching him. When she got there, she granted him a sweet smile. "Thank you for everything you do here. I don't know what we'd do without you. I don't know what I'd do without you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rose. I also would not know what I would have done without you."

Rose closed the bedroom door to him gazing at her, a warm feeling spreading in her chest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the cuteness!

The next week was filled with activity. John was with her for dinner and took her to work on all the days save one when he had an appointment. But he got her every night from work. Each night Rose kept an eye out for the car the she thought she saw, but only occasionally saw headlights. But she also told herself that the area was highly populated and there were a lot of ride services around. There were bound to be cars around too. After a few more days, the thought of the weird driver left her head. She had spoken with the police over the phone, but as she said, she hadn’t seen the driver clearly and he hadn’t actually done anything to her. They were pursuing the stolen vehicle angle, but there wasn’t anything to do for her. 

But John still was no less protective or, she found, talkative. Every time she came home she would play a game of “What did John fix today?” Sometimes it was little things, like changing out a part in the washing machine, but other times it was installing the tankless hot water system that he had talked about. Bit by bit the house was getting better. She did put her foot down about one thing though, he had mentioned climbing onto the roof to check the condition of the shingles and she said no. Luckily they were alone when she said, “Are you mental? A week ago, you had to be careful climbing up the ladder to your room, and you want to get on the roof? Is there a stronger way to say, ‘Hell no’?” 

They had agreed to disagree on that one, but she convinced him to wait until he could have help and the proper safety equipment. 

OoOoOo  
On the weekend, Jack dropped by. After attacking Rose with a hug and having his life threatened by John after kissing him on the cheek, he was promptly taken on a tour of the place by John and Rose. He was truly impressed by what he saw and even discussed a few renovations to do with John. Luckily the roof was not brought up. 

They were standing in the kitchen with John putting the finishing touches on dinner when Jack smacked his hand to his forehead. “Oh! I got so caught up with the house I forgot to tell you, I found Reinette!" Rose, setting the table, stopped and looked up and to John warily. John stopped moving for a few seconds, then started again, but slowly as if processing. 

Finally, he said, "Really? Where is she?"

"Still in Paris. But she had been on a cruise in the Mediterranean. It slowed me in getting to her. But good news, she has a storage unit. When she... moved, she packaged up your stuff and put it in there. She didn't know what else to do with it."

"She could have told you about it, before she ‘left’" John said blankly, but using air quotes.

The men made plans to go in the morning and see what was stored there, all the while Rose set the table and listened. He was trying to read John's voice, to see how he felt, but it was frustratingly flat. 

Jack joined them for dinner and the conversation mercifully changed to other matters. Rose was surprised that that subject was handled so quickly, but it was also clear that neither of them felt like delving into it. Everything was said matter-of-factly, with no mention of Reinette again. 

But when sitting together with she and Jack, they switched to happier topics, namely how John had to dodge birds when cleaning out the chimney. He hadn’t told Rose the whole story yet, and was careful to tell her that he hadn’t had to climb on top of the house to clean it. But the birds had gotten into the living room and he had to chase them out the front door. Once that happened, John perked up. Soon they were all laughing, and Rose was wishing that she didn't have to go to work. John, of course, sat next to her and Jack across. 

Then surprisingly, Mickey came in and looked in the pot on the stove. He asked the three of them without preamble, "What are you guys eating?" Rose stiffened, anticipating another barrage of Mickey's thinly veiled insults. But now Jack would be there too, it was going to be bad. 

"Beef stew," John answered. Rose was surprised to hear no hint of anger in his voice. 

"Do you have enough for one more?" Mickey asked, now stirring the leftovers. 

"It depends, Rickey, will you be joining us?" John asked. 

Mickey frowned. "It's Mickey captain forgetful."

Rose cringed, ready to stop a fight. 

"Oh yeah, I only remember what is important to me." John retorted. The both broke into laughter. 

Rose sat there in shock, her mouth falling open. "Wha?" she started.

Mickey was scooping out a big bowlful of stew. "What Rose, are you confused?" he asked. 

She nodded. "The last I knew, you two were... I'll go with not friendly."

John reached over and took her hand that had been on the table next to him, a motion not missed by Mickey or Jack. "Mickey and I have gotten past some stuff. I was working on the truck the other day when he came home from work. I just couldn't get something, and was, um, let's say releasing some bad language into the cosmos, and didn't even see him looking over my shoulder. He gave a recommendation and it worked. Since then I have been bouncing things off of him. We're best of friends now. He's smarter than he looks. "

Mickey snorted and sat next to Jack. "John knows trucks, I've learned from him, but I've taught him even more. "

John laughed again. "Rickey, this is Jack." He motioned to his friend. "Jack this is Rickey, he's an idiot."

"Hello Mickey," Jack said, picking up on the joke. 

Rose was still stunned, looking between the three of them. They didn't seem to notice and carried on, one joking about the next. John stayed on Mickey about being an idiot, Mickey jumped on John for being a wimp, and Jack goaded them on. While they went on, Rose took a minute to take in John. He was at ease with the guys, had an easy smile. It was great to see him unguarded. 

He had been so careful at first, afraid of her pity, but seeing him here was a thing all its own. She watched his eyes dance when he talked. He often looked at her too, almost like he was checking in. He would give her a smile then get back into it with the guys. The more Rose watched him, the more she could see being with him. It was easy really, he was so smart, so loyal, and it simply made her happy to see him happy. She wanted to be a part of that. 

He had been telling a story and used both hands, releasing hers minutes ago. Now that hand rested lightly on his knee as he listened to Jack. Rose then reached under the table to John's hand, taking it in hers, giving it a light squeeze. He instantly turned his hand to interlace her fingers in his without missing a beat. The current argument was that Mickey had chosen crappy fan belts for John's repair and how John could get them both cheaper and better. 

Rose, however, was reveling in the warmth of his hand and the face that he was running his thumb over hers. The spell was broken, though when he looked at his watch. 

"OK, well I need to get this one to work." He indicated her. 

"How long are you here, Jack?" Rose asked. 

"Through the weekend. I leave Monday night. "

She looked at John and Mickey. "It's supposed to be nice this weekend. We should have a barbecue in the front garden. How about Sunday? John's been working on it. I think Martha is off and Amy and Rory should not have anything. How about it?"

John smiled his smile for her. "I think it would be fantastic. If Reinette didn't put my barbeque in the storage unit I'll get one. I've been eyeing some chairs and possibly a picnic table at Eric's too. I'll see about getting them. "

"Don't spend too much." Rose warned. 

"I could never spend too much on you," John said to her. Mickey gagged out loud, garnering a glower from John. 

OoOoOo  
John took Rose to work shortly after dinner. Rose was beginning to get used to these moments with John. Little by little he was opening up. It also seemed that having Jack there was good for him, as John was more jovial. 

When John came to pick her up that night, Rose was a little disappointed to see that he had Jack with him. The good-natured argument they were having was fun to listen to but Rose had enjoyed just talking to John in the truck, talking about her day and about his and so forth. 

It was nice though, that she had to sit in the middle seat when he drove as the cab of the truck only had a bench seat. John leisurely left his hand on her knee throughout the trip. That, in itself, made up for not having a quiet conversation. 

John had to wait to pull into traffic in front of the hospital and cursed a slow car that was in the way of him pulling out. Though she didn't recognize the car, the driver looked familiar. He took a long look at them as he drove by. John and Jack were laughing about something and didn't see. Again though, Rose brushed it off, again, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her but she could have sworn she saw curly hair. 

OoOoOo

The next day was Friday, and she had school, but no work until Sunday. After moving John's things in, most of which went to the basement, John spent hours putting things away and going through what he had. Later, Jack took them out for a steak dinner. 

It was a good dinner too. Rose really enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the food. Sitting next to John wasn't bad either. He held her hand frequently, something Jack pointed out and was quickly tole to sod off by John. 

John and Jack both had beers with dinner, but Rose opted out in order to drive home. This time John had to sit in the center seat, not an easy task with his long frame. He ended up having to put his arm around her shoulders to get comfortable. Rose wasn't complaining. 

At home, John started a fire and produced some brandy and three snifters. Rose and John sat together on the couch, Jack rested in an armchair. 

"So John," Jack started, "What's the plan? Are you staying here?"

"That's what I'm thinking so far. I have a lot to work on here and there is nowhere I'd rather be for now." He gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze. 

"Do you think you'll get a job?"

John sat up, dislodging Rose a little. "Oh, I forgot! Mickey asked his boss if I could come work at the garage part time. That will still leave me time to work here and finish my rehab."

"Aren't you done with them? I mean, what else can you be doing there?" Jack asked.

"Yeah I’m done, but I was given a certain number of sessions. It looks better if I finish them. Right now, it's mainly working out a couple of times a week."

"Oh, but why a job at a garage? I mean, you have so many other skills."

"Honestly, it's fun. I've been working so hard for so long, it's nice to just fix things. Slowing my pace has been good for me." Rose rested her head on his chest and he smiled. 

"I can see that,” John retorted with a chuckle.

They all sat and chatted in front of the fire for a long time. John refilled Rose's brandy as well as his and Jacks as they told stories and laughed. Rose was feeling a little floaty but very warm as the conversation died down. She was resting comfortably on John, watching the fire when they heard a snort from Jack. He had fallen asleep in the chair. 

"Lightweight, " John laughed.

"He drank more than any of us," Rose countered. 

"True. Do you want any more?"

"Nah, I'm perfect, she answered, resting a hand on his chest. She felt his him press a gentle kiss to the top of her head and she sighed. 

"Rose, do you want to see what I was doing downstairs today?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, not sure if she really did. Sitting and snuggling with John was so nice she wasn't sure she ever wanted to move. 

He got up first and took a second to balance. "Whoa, first time I've had a drink since the accident. I can't do it like I used to. "

"You OK?" she asked.

"I'm fantastic,” he replied, giving her his smile again. 

He helped her up and she too took a second to balance. "OK, I'm done with brandy for the night," she said, taking his hand. 

John led her down the stairs into the basement, but they wisely let go of each other to use the railing. 

John flicked on the light and Rose gasped. In what used to be empty, cold storage and laundry space was a nice little setup. He had a two-seater couch down there, a rug underneath, as well as a workbench and big tool box. 

"How did you get this down here?" she gushed, "and how did I not know it happened?"

"You were busy, and Jack and I work fast," he answered. "I was thinking, would anyone be opposed to me living down here rather than in the attic? It has more space and I won't hit my head anymore. " He offered a hopeful smile. 

"We can ask, but I doubt anyone will care, as long as you don't mind people coming down here for laundry."

"Nope, not at all. I plan on finishing it down here like a room, so I'll just make a laundry room too."

"That's a great idea."

John showed her around then, stopping at a pile of boxes and pulling some framed pictures out. He explained each one, telling her about squadrons he had been in and so forth as well as showing her a very cute baby picture of him. They soon moved with some of his things to the little couch. 

Rose took note of their proximity while going through his things. He stayed very close. He handed her an old patch to look at as she turned it around on her hand, his hand came back over and held hers. She looked up, and his face was only inches away from hers. He stilled, his eyes searching hers. She could feel his breath on her cheeks. It smelled of brandy, but not in a bad way. 

She lowered their hands, removing the barrier between them. He eyes fluttered closed as she felt him get even closer. Then she felt the ever so gentle touch of his lips on hers. But then as she leaned closer, he was gone. She opened her eyes and he had sat back some, though his gaze was no less intense. 

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. 

"Not at all." He reached out and cupped her cheek. 

"Then why didn't you kiss me?"

"I want to kiss you when I can use my whole brain, not when I am being pushed ahead by alcohol. "

"Do you not think this is real?"

"Oh I do, but so recently my faculties have not been right. I want them to be right when this happens. I want to be 100%. I'm not right now. "

"I get it," she said, turning slightly to snuggle up. "You said you need time. I'm willing to wait. "

"That's the best idea I've heard in weeks," he said, dropping a kiss on her head.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone order angst? Because I have a truckload for you. Also, please don't kill me. You all know that I'm a sucker for a happy ending, but we have to let the castle burn down, fall over, then sink into the swamp first.

On Saturday Rose got up to find John had left early. She went down and started laundry, taking a few more seconds to take in how the basement looked now and also the moments from last night. She wondered if today would be the day he finally went for the kiss. The feeling of it made her warm all over and she found herself smiling. She was letting him set the pace, and she was ready for whatever he wanted. John was a fantastic man and had proved it over and over. Now she just had to wait for him. It wouldn't be long, she could tell. 

"Rose!" John's voice came from upstairs.

"I'm down here!" she called back, turning on the dryer. 

John’s faced appeared at the top of the stairs, accompanied by his ear to ear smile when he saw her. "I’m back from the storage and the market. I got bratwurst and stuff for hamburgers as well as crisps and soda. Do you think that will be enough?"

"John, you didn't have to, we could have all gone to the store."

His grin got bigger, if possible. "Don't start, you. But did you want anything else?"

"Nah." She jogged up the steps to him and was rewarded by a crushing hug. 

"Wow, good morning to you too. Is there something you're not telling me?"

He beamed at her. "Nope, I just missed you. I look forward to this evening together.”

He let her go and made sure she had her footing before heading to the kitchen. "Is there coffee?" he asked, over his shoulder.

Rose was still recovering from him saying he looked forward to their evening together, blinked then followed him. "Yeah, and I was going to make breakfast too. "

 

OoOoo

Rose and John spent the morning going remaining work on the front garden. They cleared old flower beds and took out dead plants and grass as well as fixed and set up the table. He had gotten his barbecue from storage, and it was large and stainless steel. Rose had only cooked on charcoal ones when camping, but this one hooked to a propane bottle and looked like it could barbecue an entire cow. It was pristinely clean too. It looked brand new. 

"Did you just get this before the accident?" Rose asked.

"No," he ran his hand over the gleaming top cover. "I had it in our back garden for a while, but had it covered. Reinette was not one for foods cooked outdoors."

Rose looked at him for a second, watching him get lost in thought for a minute. He didn't seem to notice her eyes on him. He shook his head ever so slightly and picked up something else to do. She followed suit. 

Before too long, Jack arrived. He brought a huge salad and onions to sauté for the bratwurst. 

Very soon thereafter, everyone was there, sitting out while John cooked. Mickey set out some speakers and had music going and an impromptu mini-session of karaoke broke out on one of the cleared grass spaces. 

"Dinner's ready!" John called out from the grill. He was now wearing an apron that said, "Kiss the Cook". Rose laughed. He must had put it on when she wasn't looking. Both Amy and Martha came up for burgers and kissed his cheek, Rory and Mickey abstained from kissing, and Jack tried but was threatened by castration. Lastly Rose came up and John stopped what he was doing. He leaned down to her and she placed a sweet kiss on his lips, quickly accompanied by hoots and hollers behind her. Rose blushed, looking up to see that John was blushing too, trying to cover it by serving her a bratwurst. 

They both recovered though, and ultimately all sat at the table to eat. John took his place next to Rose and before they knew it, Jack had launched into a story about being naked in Paris. 

They were all laughing. John piped up when Mickey jokingly questioned the validity of the story. "I was there! I had my clothes on, of course. We were all embarrassed, well, all but Jack, he -" He stopped short when he looked at Jack's face. It can gone blank, his eyes looking over John's shoulder to the front gate to the garden.

As he turned to follow his friend's eyes, he heard an unmistakable voice. "John? John is that you?"

The gate creaked, and everyone looked to see a woman standing in the garden area. She was dressed modesty but very stylishly in black tight pants, a red jumper, black heals, and was perfectly made up, from her manicured toes peeking out of her shoes to her fingers to her hair. 

John was on his feet in an instant. "Reinette!" he yelled, running to her. "You're here!" He enveloped her in a hug, picking her up and twirling her around, her laughing all the way. 

He set her down and looked at her. "I can’t believe that you're here. But why did you come?"

She looked past him to the six dumbfounded faces looking at her from the table. Jack got to his feet. 

She looked back to John. "Well Jack called me, and I had to come see you. I was worried about you. Is this where you live now?" She motioned to the house. 

"I, um, I don't know. I'm still figuring everything out. " He paused, like looking for something to say. "Would you like to see the inside? I'll show you around. " 

Jack had walked around and now stood by Rose. John brought Reinette to the table. "Reinette, these are my friends, Mickey, Amy, Rory, Rose, she owns this house and has graciously allowed me to stay here, and you know Jack." He seemed nervous with his introductions, and Rose couldn't figure out if it was because of them of because of Reinette. 

Everyone nodded at her and gave nice but simple greetings. Rose just gave a tight smile. John's eyes didn't make it to hers, even when he introduced her. 

He then led Reinette into the house, pointing out work he had done. Rose felt Jack’s hand land on her shoulder, softly. He gave it a squeeze as the front door closed behind them. 

Amy was the first to speak up. "Um, what was that?"

Rose stood too, shaking off Jack's hand. She looked around. "I ah..."

They all were looking at her. 

"I'm going to go... to my Mum's. " She said, distantly. 

Jack grabbed her hand. "Hey, he's just excited. and he got ambushed. Things are so different now with him, drastically different from what he had months ago. It's nothing. You know how he gets confused when things change rapidly. She was part of his life. Give it a moment. He’ll shift back in a few minutes."

She turned on him. "That was weeks ago. He’s on an even keel now. You know it. But I'm not staying here only to hear them shag in the attic and shake this whole place. I can't handle that. I thought, we... But he just… I don't know, but I can't be here. "

Without a word, she left her plate on the table, and headed into the house, right to her room. Amy and Martha followed. 

Rory and Mickey and Jack all looked around. Mickey was still eating. He stuffed the last of his bun in his mouth and said around this mouthful, "I'll take her to her mum's. If you see John, kick him in the balls for me, or, better yet, I'll do it when I get back."

Silently Jack and Rory picked up the mess. Jack at a complete loss. 

OoOoOo  
In Rose's room, the girls were strangely quiet as they watched her make a bag. No one knew what to say. Finally, Martha spoke. 

"I'm sorry Rose, this is really weird. "

Rose sat with a huff. "I don't know if there is even something to be sorry about. It's not like John and I were committed or anything. He was in a relationship with her. They lived together. They had a life way before I was in the picture. But I can see now what he saw in her, she’s beautiful."

"You don't think he's just going to jump back into a relationship with her, do you?" Amy asked. 

"I don't know. We’ve talked about it some. He was in love with her, but things weren't great between them. I guess we'll have to see. She definitely has his attention though, huh? I mean maybe it was a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. But now that she’s back, he wants her back in his life." She grabbed a pillow and stuffed it into the bag in her hands. 

"You shouldn't have to go. This is your house," Amy offered. 

"I know, but I'm... I don't know. I don’t really want to be here if they are. Other than having my pride wounded-"

"Shredded-" Amy added.

Rose smiled. "Shredded. But other than that, I'm not mad at him. I just feel sad, you know? Like he just let go and walked away. I have no reason to be sad though, I’m new to be in his life, but it still hurts. I probably wasn't really anything to him anyway. Just here and convenient. He’d have figured out pretty quick that I had nothing to offer him and he’d probably have lost interest anyway."

"I don't think so," piped up Jack from the doorway. I think he's really into you."

Rose shook her head. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong. He's got what he needs back. I was just a place holder. I'm not OK with it right now, but I will be. But honestly, if they go upstairs and shag I... I can't be here for that. " Her voice cracked as she said the last bit. 

Quietly Amy and Martha helped put the rest of the things in her bag and Mickey came in and took it. Jack didn't add anything more. He didn't know what John was thinking and until he could get him alone, he couldn't ask. But he was actively fighting the urge to go search out John and confront him. 

They could hear John coming close now, talking, and all eyes went to Rose. But next they heard the basement door open and them going down the stairs. Rose looked around at all that had gathered, "Let's go."

Outside, Jack gave Rose a hug before she got in and closed the door. "We'll get it all figured out, Rosie. Maybe I need to smack him in the head to unscramble him. "

"It’s fine, Jack. He used to talk about her all the time. He said he wasn't sure how he felt about her. I'll give him space to do just that. Just let me go and blow off a little steam before I see him again. Us being in a relationship was never part of the package of him living here. I need to be good with whatever is best for him. If that's not me, I have to get over it. "

"You are the best thing for him. He's too stupid to see it. I’ve never met someone your age that is so strong and assured. He hit the hit the jackpot with you."

Rose gave him a watery smile. "Thank you, but I sincerely don't believe you. You just said it too, ‘someone my age’.” She sighed lightly. “Have a safe trip if I don't see you. " 

Jack leaned in the window and planted a kiss on her cheek. "There is so much more to you than you think. "

She shook her head as Mickey brought the car to life. 

After that Jack gave a thought to finding John, but also was so mad he wouldn’t have known what to say. He needed to have to time to talk to John when he wasn’t going to kill him, so he left too, afraid any conversation with John would start with a punch to the throat. If John was engaged in activities with Reinette, he didn't want to be there either. In fact, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to John anywhere in the near future. He had intended on crashing on the couch again, but for some reason it didn’t feel right. 

OoOoOo

Rose hadn't called ahead to her Mum's and found the flat empty. When she called her, she was informed that her mum had jumped into an impromptu girl’s weekend and wouldn't be back until early Monday morning. 

So, for the remainder of Sunday, Rose sulked, cleaned, cried a little, not for the end of a relationship, but for the end of something she apparently only thought they had, thinking that she has something with him before he made up his mind about Reinette. What bothered her the most was that he had been making advances, he was driving the bus, and she was with it all the way. But in one minute she saw that it wasn't her he was interested in. That hurt the worst. Rejection was always the hardest slap. 

At one point her phone dinged and she looked at it on the table for a silent minute before getting it. She knew it wasn't John, but whoever it was may not have good information. She finally went for it, she got not good news, but in another way. It was Martha, she had seen a report of another rape in the area of the hospital. This time it was a woman walking her dog at night. She also was badly hurt. Neither she or the other victim were able to identify the perpetrator.   
OoOoOo

Then next day was Monday. She heard her mum come in early but then go to bed. Not wanting to explain herself, she got up, went to class and then right to work, telling herself she could do homework in the cafeteria before her shift began. She hadn't heard any further information about John, but everyone had checked in with her. The warm feeling that she had so much love from her housemates helped a little to stop the pain in her heart. John had no phone, but she couldn’t think of why he would contact her anyway, unless it was out of a sense of duty to drop her off. But as far as she was concerned, he was absolved of that anyway. The only person she wished she had heard from was Jack, but he hadn’t sent anything. She had tried to text him a few times, but never sent anything. She was afraid, no, she just didn’t want to hear anymore about the situation. She didn’t need the knife to go in any farther. 

When the time came, she trudged to the lifts to start her shift. 

OooOo

On Monday morning, Jack had come back to the house hoping to catch John alone. He found him at the kitchen table sipping coffee. Reinette was nowhere around. 

John looked up, a look of concern on his face. "Have you seen Rose? She's not in her bedroom and she doesn't have class until 10. I tried to ask Amy and she only flipped me off and walked out the door. Did something happen?"

Jack poured some coffee for himself and sat across the table from John, taking his friend in. 

"How is Reinette?" He asked, taking a sip. 

"What do you mean, she's fine. What's happening?" He looked truly confused. 

Jack set his mug down, playing with a drop of coffee that was on the rim with this thumb. "You are one of the smartest blokes I know, but you are also colossally thick. "

"Explain, now." John leaned forward. 

"I will, but first a question, two actually."

John glowered at him.

"First, what are your intentions with Reinette?"

"I don't know. She's here, we're talking. I can't just ignore that we were together before the accident. But then again, we’re not talking, it’s complicated."

Jack nodded. "Granted. Next question. Similar to the first. What are your intentions with Rose?"

Jack watched as John's face froze. He stared straight ahead, he didn't move at all. Then, "Oh Gods..." He ran his hand over his face and then over his hair. He looked at Jack. "I hadn't even thought..."

"I know you didn't." 

"So, where is she?"

"She went to her mum's."

"Did she say anything?"

"She said a few things, mostly self-deprecating, about how she probably never meant much to you anyway and how you have what you need now, and how she was just a place holder. The thing was that she also said she had no right to be sad, that it was all so new. She wasn't being dramatic either, it was like she was just being realistic. "

"I never intended this to happen,” John said sullenly, taking his head in his hands. 

"I figured you didn't. John, you barely introduced them to Reinette. You said Rose owned the house. Then you left us all sitting out there. What the hell? I thought Rose meant more to you than that. You didn't have to call her your girlfriend, but c'mon! "

John’s hands flew down and hit the table. "I was just so stunned to see Reinette. Everything good came rushing back when I saw her. I missed her Jack, we may not have been on good terms, but I hadn't seen her in a long time. I just went into another mode. I wanted to show her everything. I wanted her to know I was alright. I didn't forget about Rose, I just got a little flummoxed, I guess."

"Sleeping that long will do it to ya."

"But the thing is, I have been thinking about Rose too, this whole time. I never thought that Reinette being here erased Rose, but ... I just don't know. I'm so stupid. Did she leave just because she couldn't be around me?"

"She actually said she didn't think she could handle hearing you and Reinette shag in the attic. "

John leaned back in his chair, running his hands over his head. "We didn't... I mean, there was nothing... WE DIDNT SHAG."

"It was a logical thing to worry about."

"We didn't do anything, not even kiss. I showed her the house and we were talking, she told me about her house and her vacation, but we didn't get too deep. In the end it was just like catching up, then she wanted dinner, so I took her. We talked about old times. But I guess we missed a few things. I don't know if she’s seeing someone."

"What did you talk about?"

"Well, we had to talk about what happened to the condo. She ended buying a nice place outside of Paris. "

"Is she giving you money back?"

John hung his head. "We didn't talk about that."

"John."

"I know. She was my one last real link to life before the accident. We got caught up. Come to think about it, we really didn't talk about much. "

"Are you going to just let her waltz out of here with the money from your hard work?"

John rested his head in his hands again." I don't know. " 

"She owes you a lot of money."

"I know."

"She left you here. In a coma. With no forwarding information. "

"I know."

"And a sweet, wonderful girl stepped in, seeking nothing, and gave you a home and friendship. She opened her home to you, and I think was opening her heart too. And you left her out. "

"I KNOW!" John bellowed, balling his fists and pressing them to his eyes. 

He sniffed. When he spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion. "I don't know what to do. Reinette and I were falling apart before the accident. I guess I just thought in the moment that now if she came back, everything would reset. But deep down, I know that's not the case. We were broken. Now that I think about it, my time with her even yesterday was off somehow. Like she was sizing me up the whole time. Then she wanted me to take her to eat. I have to end this Jack, She's not good for me. I'm..."

"A dipshit?" 

Another sniff. He brought his hands down, and Jack could see the redness that now rimmed them. Tears threatened to spill. "I have to set this straight. I don't know where Rose and I were headed. But already it was a better place than Reinette and I had ever been. Rose is practical, thinks about real things. She has priorities and goals. She liked me at my worst. Reinette left me without a trace and sold my hard work. And how long did it take for her to contact you back, for her to answer you?"

"I didn't want to tell you at the time. But it was weeks, John. She says that she was on a cruise, but c’mon, those things have Wi-Fi and cell service."

"Why did she come?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask her. But when I spoke to her last, I asked about the money and the condo. My guess is that she came to convince you to just let her walk away. In person she can convince you. "

"That's not going to happen. Give me your phone." John held out his hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this moment I'm glad that none of you know where I live. Also please note that I always have a happy ending. You may proceed.

Rose's shift went unbearably slow. There were fewer people on the ward right now, and she didn’t feel like reading out loud. So, she walked form patient to patient. She brushed hair, spoke nice words, but it was just the same all night. She found herself thinking back to how drawn she felt to John. Adam had warned her that he was a mover, was he maybe waking even then? She remembered reading to him and his reactions, then that night when she saw his eyes for the first time. Then again when he reacted to her. Her heart warmed just thinking about it and she found herself smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Rose was startled as Adam came up behind her. 

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about John and how he woke up. "

"That was weird for sure, I've never seen that happen before and probably won't ever again. He must have just hated the world enough to want to check out for a while. "

"I don't know, he seems pretty OK with things. I think he needed to straighten his brain out before he started to use it again. " A wistful look danced in her eyes. 

"But he's straight now? Is he still living with you?"

That look went away, and her face drooped. "Yes, I guess, but his girlfriend came back yesterday. I think he may be getting back with her. It's sad. I don't think they’re good together."

"And who is he good with?" Adam asked, leaning onto an IV pole attached to one of the beds. 

Rose blushed. "I had thought me, but I guess not.” She started to worry her lip, her eyes now on the floor. 

"I’ve seen him picking you up after your shift. He was always happy to see you. So, is that not a thing anymore? From where I was standing, it looked like his eyes were glued to you. I know that look."

Rose took a breath and shook her head. "I don't know. She showed up out of the blue and surprised him. Then it was like I wasn’t even there. I think he's kinda forgotten about me with her here. I know that what he had, or whatever, it was a bit fairy tale, you know, not meant to be.”

“Hmm, I figured he was undressing you with his eyes every night he was here. I thought he was into you.”

She cringed at the comment. “Was. You know what? Crap, I don’t even know if he’ll be here tonight. I guess I’ll just take the bus. I hope I get off on time.”

"Did you hear about the rapes? Sarah told me about them.”

"Yeah."

"If you want, I can get you home."

"I'm fine, Adam. 

"You know, now that John is out of the picture, I could take you ou-"

"No, it was no at the beginning, and it's still no. Thanks for the offer of a ride, but I'm not going out with you. "

"Fine, you're missing out," he said, walking away. 

OoOoo

John was late, he was also very, very mad. The day with Reinette had gone very badly. Perhaps “badly” wasn’t a strong enough word. “Armageddon” or “Nuclear Meltdown” may nave been more appropriate. Oh, it was fine when he was driving over to talk to her. But then she insisted on him taking her to breakfast, and over her egg white and spinach omelet, he asked her what she had done with the money from the condo and how she intended on paying him back. It didn't go well. 

She ended up storming out of the restaurant, that was after yelling at him in front of the whole place. 

Next came the epic row in the car park. John was sure that the police would end up being called. Finally, he called Jack to be an intermediary, since he was a cooler head. That went only somewhat better. John didn't want her to have to sell her place in Paris, but by the same token, the money wasn't really hers. But then again, he was in a coma. It made sense, she didn’t know if or when he would wake up or how he would be after. But he couldn't get over the fact that she had just given up on him and disappeared. 

Part of him understood her need to move on, but another part was mad that she did it so quickly, not even leaving forwarding information. Then, late in the day, it came out that she had someone new and she wouldn’t tell him how long they had been together. That was the last straw for John. It hadn’t been that long since the accident. He knew. He knew that this person was not as new as she said he was. 

By the end of the day, John had insisted that she pay him back part of the money, but when she cried, let her make payments. It was still only a fraction of what he had lost, but after hours of fighting he just didn’t have it in him to keep going. They parted ways from her hotel at about ten that night. John had to drag himself to his truck. Then it wouldn't start. 

He could have cried. He had every intention of being at Rose's work plenty early to bring her home. Now he was halfway across London in a dark car park with a truck that wouldn't start. He still didn’t have a phone, or any phone numbers for that matter, or he could have called Mickey. So, he had to beg a torch from the front desk of the hotel and try to fix it himself. 

An hour and a half later it started. John whooped with joy and ran around to shut the hood. All he could do was pray that it would stay running until he got there. She needed to see that he was there for her, and not have to get on a bus or in another creepy driver's car. 

As he drove, he lamented all he had done wrong. He should have never let Reinette distract him like that. He wasn't thinking. Reinette had swooped in, like she always did and caught him off guard. Before he was on firm ground again, he had taken her inside. He was just so happy to have a little piece of his normal life back that he lost sight of the life he was making. 

He pounded the steering wheel with his fist. Rose had been the best thing that had happened to him. Hands down. She walked in when he was as low as he had ever been and breathed sunlight into his world. Then she took him in. She didn’t want his money, she just liked him for him. He didn’t have to have a fancy job or make her a fancy house. She just wanted him to be with her. 

Gods he had mucked this up. The real deal, the girl for him was right in front of him and he let her go. Jack said that she didn't think she meant that much to him. Oh, how wrong she was. He could easily see how his world could revolve around her, and he was just lucky to be in her orbit. 

John was nearly there now, only a kilometer away. It was going to be close. He turned the corner and the hospital was closer, within sight, and his headlamps cut off. The truck started to sputter. "No-no no!" he yelled, banging his hand on the dash. 

OoOoo

Rose was growing increasingly anxious towards the end of her shift. She wondered if John would be there for her. Even though she had told him he didn’t have to be, he hadn’t missed a single night. But this might be the night he did. And if he did, she would know the answer to the questions she had asked herself a hundred times that night: Was what they had a fleeting thing? Was he going to move back to is other life? Was her time with him over before it started?

She was slowed up a little because the charge nurse was talking to her about proof of a TB test that hadn’t made it into her file. She clocked out after Adam came in for vital signs and walked to the lifts with him and another young lady who also was a tech like Adam. They were all in a discussion about a mandatory hospital training that they had to do by the next week. Well, Adam and the girl were, but Rose was quiet, secretly dreading going outside of the hospital and not seeing John there. 

When they got to the ground floor, she fell behind them a bit. Adam was the first to go through the automatic doors and she could see him looking around. Then he looked back to her, shaking his head. 

Rose joined him seconds later. She scoured the roadside for a familiar truck, but there was nothing. She tucked her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, trying to hide the fact that she felt like she had just been punched in the gut. 

"Well, he's not here, and there goes the last bus." Adam announced, unceremoniously. Then he walked off. Suddenly Rose was regretting telling him that she didn't want a ride. 

Then to her right she heard something. "Hey, do you need a ride?"

She looked up. There was an SUV that has pulled into the loading zone, but she couldn't see the driver clearly. In profile she could see he wore a baseball cap, but there was no curly hair sticking out anywhere. Even the voice sounded different. The passenger window was rolled down. "My fare cancelled so I have a spot if you need a ride!" he called. 

She thought about it for a minute. This was the first time she had seen this car. She also could see a sticker on the window indicating a ride service. It was also late, the last bus had already come and gone. She could call Mickey, but he was sleeping. She was also tired, and just wanted to be home. So, she walked over to the passenger window. The driver wore amber driving glasses, which she thought was a little weird, but up close she could see that he had close cropped blonde hair sticking out a little under his cap. He had to raise his voice over the air conditioner that was currently blasting, despite the chill of the night. "I'm sorry ma'am, you'll have to sit in the front, the back door is busted.” His voice was warm, friendly and had a bit of a Welsh accent. Rose took a breath. Not the same guy. 

She opened up the front passenger of the SUV, climbing in. As she sat down, the doors locked. "Nice to see you again," came a familiar voice. But it wasn't the voice that let her know who was behind the wheel, it was the smell, she had smelled that before. His face lit with an evil grin as he lifted his hat to show thick black curls on top of a bleached band of hair on the bottom. 

OoooOo

John's truck had lost power seconds after he rounded the corner and was now rolling, slowing inch by inch. Ahead he saw a familiar blonde figure. She was walking towards the loading zone where he usually parked, but someone was there, and she got in the front seat. "No!" he yelled to himself. He hadn't made it in time. The truck had no power, nothing, and as he struggled to steer it, it hit the kerb. The jolt made him curse loudly as the force of the sudden stop jerked him forward. But then as if the strike had reconnected something, the truck’s electrical system came back to life. His headlights were on again. He turned the key and the truck sputtered to life. He gave a whoop of happiness and started to accelerate just as the SUV made a U turn and started into traffic. He may be too late, but he could follow and make sure she was safe. 

OoOoOo  
"Let me out!" Rose yelled, trying the door. It was locked and wouldn’t open. She was struggling to trigger the unlock, but as she hit it, it instantly locked again. He had his hand on the lock button. She turned back to him just as his fist connected with her face. She screamed and sputtered, pain exploding in her cheek and nose. 

"Now, now, calm down, little one," he cooed, as something cold and hard met her temple. A gun. He slid the barrel, pressing into her skin painfully, all the way down her face, then neck, leaving it pointed at her shoulder and chest. She knew that was so that no one could see it. 

Rose's nose was bleeding profusely but she froze. He was going to kill her. "Please let me go," she begged. 

The SUV had pulled out into traffic. "No, I have plans for you. You got away from me once, but I get a do over. I wasn't ready for you last time, but now I am. And I've had practice. "

Rose reached for her phone. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. "If you're very nice I'll let you live, but if you fight there will be no such arrangement. Just shut your mouth and you'll get away. "

"Did the others fight?" she asked defiantly, not believing him for a second.

"Some yes and some no. Now shut up. " He steered the car onto the expressway. Rose tried desperately to look out the window and make eye contact with another driver, but all the cars were too dark, and she couldn't see a soul. If she moved, he jabbed the barrel into her side, sometimes violently, making her gasp or squeak. With each noise he jabbed harder until she had to physically bite her lip. He murmured to himself throughout. Rose heard snippets of "She'll see," and "You can't tell me no," laced with "Bitch". None of it seemed to be directed at her. 

He pulled off the expressway near the side of a hillier area, one with big homes and big lots. It was very dark. But as they drove down the exit ramp, Rose caught sight of something in the rearview mirror. Lights. They weren't very bright, so it was hard to tell the distance. There was another car. Maybe she could get the driver's attention, then again, she hoped upon hope that whoever it was wasn't with her assailant. 

At the bottom of the ramp, the man took a right turn. It led up a winding road and there were no lights ahead. This was getting worse. She needed to get out. He was going too fast for her to jump out and not die, so she did what she thought was best. All at the same time she leaned forward, pushed her elbow back, pointing the gun at the back of her seat and struck him in the face with her left hand. It wasn't a hard blow, but it was enough to cause him to steer into a guard rail on the side of the road. The SUV crashed into the railing, coming to an abrupt stop, also deploying the airbags, the horn of the car blaring. Rose unlocked and flew open the door, landing on the ground. She hopped over the guard rail and slid a foot but grabbed a bush before she fell down the embankment. 

The man bellowed over the car horn. "Come here!" 

Rose looked back, only to see him level the gun at her. Again, she froze. It was hard to see him, her nose was swelling, dripping blood, but she put her hands up. He stepped closer to her, and over the guard rail. He was a big man, at least six feet tall, and beefy. This was the first time she had a good look at him. 

Something moved behind him. Rose looked up, just in time to see John, grab and pull the man back over the railing, onto the road. Then the fight was on. 

"John!" she screamed. 

"Call the police!" he yelled over the struggle, the horn of the car nearly drowning out his words. 

Rose scrambled back up and onto the street, calling 999 and giving directions. It was hard to talk, as she had started to choke on the blood from her nose. She was told there was an officer that was close and to stay on the line. 

Then men struggled for the gun, and Rose watched in horror. She started to help twice, but the way they were engaged quickly changed who had the upper hand. John was on top, then the man. Both cursed and yelled as they grappled. She could see that both knew how to fight. The gun spun out as John was able to get a hand on it, but the man kicked out violently to John’s chest and crawled to it. John was on him again in a flash. Somehow the man got to his feet, kicking at John, but John hopped up too, fists flying. In the background Rose could hear the wail of sirens. The men continued to struggle. 

The man looked at the approaching police cars and John landed a savage blow to his jaw. The man stumbled, and John grabbed for him. They were near the edge of the road. John got ahold of him, but the trajectory of the man’s fall hit the guard rail and they both toppled over. The man reached out, grabbing John back as they fell down the embankment. The first police skidded to a stop behind Rose. The officer jumped out and ran to the rail, also holding out a hand to keep Rose back. He looked over the rail just as a shot rang out. 

'"JOHN!!!" Rose shrieked. There was no answer.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who put me on your hit list after the last chapter, I hope this fixes it. Thank you for the lovely and humorous comments. They make me and my meager offerings seem so much more fun. One more chapter after this!

The scene became very chaotic, very fast. Two other cop cars arrived after the first. Rose made a rush for the rail, but she was held back. Two officers climbed down to the scene below, but Rose couldn't see. There was the crackling of radios and more sirens. Three ambulances arrived, one whose crew went to work on Rose. She kept trying to get to him, to look, but no one would let her. Soon the two remaining ambulances were diverted down another road, ostensibly to get to the bottom, where John was. 

Rose begged, she pleaded to at least know what was happening, the kindly paramedic tried to get some information, but all he could get was that there were two other patients, one which was shot, and that the police were working to straighten it all out. Though she wanted to stay, the ambulance needed to transport her. One of the cops came in and asked for a brief statement. In her panic all she could get out was. "One of those men tried to kill me, one of those men is a hero. The one with short, dark hair is John Smith, the other one is likely your rapist.” Then she looked to the medic. “I’m gonna vomit.” He quickly handed her a vomit bag and she heaved into it, unloading all the blood that had gone into her stomach. The medic then had her sit forward to so she wouldn’t swallow more, but at the same time she was getting dizzy. An IV was started shortly thereafter as the medic also tried in vain to calm her. 

The cop thanked her, told her he would talk to her at the hospital, and hopped out. The only thing that got through her haze of terror was that paramedic telling her that two people were being transported and they were both alive. At least there was that. 

OoOoOo

The hospital was no better with providing information. When she got there, Rose was treated to a "nose tampon" to stop the bleeding and an x-ray to see the damage. Neither was pleasant. Luckily though, Martha was just finishing her shift and Rose called her to come down as soon as she could. The verdict was that her nose was broken but not displaced. It would heal on its own. A specialist was called in to cauterize the blood vessel that still wanted to bleed in her nose. That also was painful and unpleasant, and Martha hadn’t made it down yet. 

Even with all her trauma, Rose couldn't stop obsessing about John. Her nurse got tired of saying, “I don't know, he's in x-ray or the doctor was with him.” 

By the time Martha got there, Rose fit to be tied. "You have to find out what happened to him!" Rose pleaded. 

Martha, knowing her friend well enough to know that she wouldn't rest until she got news, snuck out to find out. When she came back, Rose sat up in bed. 

"I found him, but he looked unconscious. But they also looked like they were setting his arm. He may have broken it. So, he may just have been sedated. I don't know. I also don't know the doctor that is treating him, and we are treading a thin line as to patient confidentiality. But I’ll find out what I can."

Amy arrived at Rose's bedside next. She cried when she saw her friend, when Rose told her the story of what happened and what happened to John. 

Amy came with more news. "They were wheeling him out when I game in. He had gauze wrapped around his head and a giant splint on his arm. He was not awake."

The situation came crashing down on Rose. It wasn't lost on her that how she met him may be how he was again. She wondered if he hurt his head, and if he had it in him to wake up another time. The panic left quickly then in a rush, replace by cold, hard fear. She settled back into the bed then and let the tears flow. Amy stood next to her, rubbing her head and gently picking the stray blood that had gotten into her hair. 

No one talked, they just listened to the sounds of the ward. A baby was crying, an old man was yelling about the war, and people were bustling about. But in her little curtained off area, Rose and her friends silent waited for word on John.

OoOoO

Hours later, after tests and fluid replacement, Rose still had no word on John. He had come in as a trauma and was in a different part of A&E. Martha was lucky to have found him. As she moved closer to discharge, she begged Martha again to try to go find him. She had tried to get up herself, but found she wasn't steady on her feet yet. 

"I'll go, but I still may not be able to get much more information," Martha sighed. Just as she started to reach for the curtain, it was ripped from her hands. The screech of the metal hangers on the bar made all of them look up. There stood John, his head bandaged, his left arm in a huge splint and a sling, scratches and bruises all over his face, and a worried look on his face that dissolved into a brilliant smile when his eyes landed on her. 

Amy stepped back to allow him close and he swooped in, up to her bedside, and took her in his good arm, bringing his face to hers and kissing her on the lips. 

Despite his strong entrance, the kiss was gentle, and he pulled back immediately, resting his forehead on hers. "Tell me you're OK," he breathed. 

"I'm OK, " she answered, still surprised at his entrance.

Martha lowered the bed rail for him to get closer and he leaned on the bed. She slid a chair under him, and he sat, taking Rose's hand, his eyes never leaving hers. Martha wasn't even sure that he knew he sat, he was so focused on her. 

"I'm so glad. I was trying to get to you, but they had to set my arm and I got staples-" he babbled.

"John," she started, "I'm fine, what happened to you?"

He stopped for a second, a little confused how she could possibly want to know what happened to him with all that happened to her. "I uh, well we fell, then we fought. When I got to the bottom, my arm broke, but he was attacking me. His gun went off and the bullet grazed me." He pointed to his head. "But we fought for a long time. I got a few blows in and so did he. I managed to get the gun from him and toss it. That's when the cops got there. They put us both in cuffs for a while before they figured it out. You must have said something, because one came down asking who John Smith was. Then I got transported here. I'm so glad you're alright. " He smiled at her. It was his smile that he gave her, also the smile she has seen him give to Reinette. 

Suddenly she felt cold again. She withdrew her hand from his and sat up straighter. "John, what happened tonight? How did you find me? Where's Reinette?"

He frowned both at her hand being taken away and her question. "She's gone, but that's a story for later. I was coming to get you but my truck broke and I was late. Then I followed you when I saw you get in that car. I just figured I would follow you home, but apparently, he had other ideas. "

"He did."

"Did he... do anything?"

"You mean other than hit me? No, but I don't know what he was going to do. "

“Oh, thank the Gods. I don't know if I could live if someone did anything to you. "

Rose didn't answer, just leveled him with a stare. He recoiled a little. 

"Rose, I know you're mad, but I can explain."

"I'm not mad John, I-"

"Mr. Smith?"

They both looked up to see a police officer, tablet in hand. "Mr. Smith, I need to get a statement."

John looked longingly at Rose then back to the officer. "Does it have to be now?"

"I'm afraid so, there's a lot happening here, and we need to get things straightened out as soon as possible. "

John looked back to Rose, but then dropped his head. Another officer came in behind the first. He piped up. "I'm here to speak with Miss Tyler. "

With that John stood, he reached out for Rose, seemingly forgetting that she had retracted her hand, and with the absence of anything else to do, patted her on the shoulder. He followed the first officer out as the second one approached Rose for her statement. 

 

OoOoOo

It was nearly 3am when Rose got home. The officer that spoke with her said that the man that had taken her was possibly the rapist and that DNA would help, but her statement would keep him in jail until the more damning evidence would come to light. They would charge him with kidnapping and battery for now. She would have to go back to the station the next day to meet with detectives, but he got preliminary information taken care of.

Martha called Mickey to come get them. Martha had looked for John, but the officer must have taken him somewhere else to talk, as he wasn't in the hospital bed anymore. 

Rose quickly fired off emails to her teachers for that day and climbed into bed. She was beyond tired, in pain, and if she really looked at it, scared. So much had transpired in the last forty-eight hours, the most terrifying of which was that someone had taken her and would have raped her, and possibly even killed her. While in the hospital, Martha and Amy had been able to keep her mind off of it. But talking to the officer at the end of the ordeal brought it all up again. One thought carried more weight than the others, what if John hadn't shown up? Would she have been able to get away? The possibility of what could have transpired weighed heavily on her. She was grateful for John but also shocked that she lived. He had jumped in and nearly gotten himself killed. He had been shot in the head, a grazing wound, yes, but it was close enough. She could have lost him. But she also got stuck on the Reinette thing. Now she regretted taking her hand back. He was worried about her. 

The residual fear from the night only fed the anxiety over John. The truth was that she didn't know how to feel about him. Yes, she felt sadness, but wasn't sure why. They hadn't been committed to each other. His life had been totally turned on its head. She had no claim to him. But she was mourning the loss of him by her side. But why? He was there. He nearly exploded into the room and something compelled him to kiss her, right there, in front of everyone. 

She shifted in bed. She needed to talk to him, that was clear. But the gnawing fear stayed even after she decided on the course of action. She could have died. Someone had wanted to hurt her. He could have done it too. Clutching a pillow to her chest, she rested her head on another pillow. Fatigue was making her nauseous. She forced her eyes closed, trying desperately to force the fear down. Thoughts of John filled its place but were no more comforting. Finally, she fell into a fitful sleep. 

OoOo

John had reluctantly gone with the officer to the police station. He wanted to talk to Rose, tell her what was happening, but she had been talking to the other officer, and something told him that no matter what he said, Rose didn't want to hear it. 

He was dropped off back at the house by the officer that took pity on him. This time he didn't resist. 

He hurt all over, and the thought of climbing the ladder to the attic was torture. It was now just past seven in the morning. He walked into the house, and the first thing he saw was Rose's door. It was closed and he stopped. He couldn't take another step. Too much had transpired, too many things had been misinterpreted. He couldn't go any farther. He pulled a chair from the kitchen and set it in front of her door, sinking into it. 

There was no way he was going to let it go on any further. He would wait. 

The housemates came and went, getting breakfast and such. Amy came over and asked him if he wanted coffee. 

He gratefully accepted it. 

"You look like shit." she said. 

"I know," he answered. Amy couldn’t counter the finality he had in his voice, and instead patted him on the shoulder and went about her business. 

Finally, just before nine, John heard movement in her room. He sat up straighter in the chair and waited. After a few minutes the door opened and a very rumpled, very groggy, Rose stepped out. She nearly tripped over his chair. 

OoOoOo  
Rose was drowning in mud. It swirled around her, pulling her in. She must have been in a river, she reached desperately for the shore, but every time she came close, grasping a plant or dirt, she was ripped away. She kicked her feet, only to feel hands wrap around her ankles and pull hard. She struggled to take breaths, wondering if each one was her last. She could hear John's voice and whipped around, trying to find him. He was calling out for her, but as she managed to get her head above the mud, she saw him, but he was looking away. She went under again and the mud bubbled up around her as she screamed. The opening of her mouth only allowed the mud to flow in, just as the hands on her legs gave a tug. 

Rose woke with a start. Her heart was pounding, which did nothing for her headache or the pain in her face. She laid there, breathing heavily, orienting herself. She was home, she was safe. It took a few breaths to calm her again. Slowly, painfully she got to her feet, finding her dressing gown but deciding to go to her ensuite first. Then she slid on her dressing gown and fuzzy slippers, maybe tea would help her rest, hopefully they had chamomile. 

She opened her bedroom door and nearly had a heart attack. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed jumping back. John jumped to his feet, his hand shooting out to catch her. He steadied her, but his hand remained. She looked down at it and back to him. 

He examined her, his heart sinking. She wore a splint on her nose, but it was clear that deep redness had settled over her nose and looked like it was going to give her two black eyes. It had been mere hours since she had been hit by that man. The effect was shocking. 

He swallowed. "Can we talk?" he asked, voice gravelly from lack of sleep.

She eyed him. "How long have you been waiting there?"

"About two hours."

"Why?"

"I couldn't miss you again. I need to talk to you."

"Did you sleep?"

Pause. "No."

"You should get sleep. You look dead on your feet. "

He shook his head. When he did, the bandage wrapped around it slipped and he reached up to it, frustrated and yanked it off. Rose extended her hand, turning his head so she could see the wound. The wound, that if had been two centimeters over, would have killed him. His hair was shaved in the area, a line of staples angrily holding his skin together. 

"Does it hurt?" she asked. 

He stepped back, "Please Rose, come sit with me. Can I get you some coffee or tea?"

She shook off his lack of answer. "Yeah. I was... not sleeping well, I was coming out for chamomile. "

He smiled sweetly at her. "Go back to bed, get comfortable, I'll bring it to you."

Rose nodded and shuffled back to bed, setting up the pillows so she could rest on the headboard.

John came in a few minutes later with two steaming mugs in one hand, stopping to set them both down on her bedside table then handing her one. 

She took a sip. "Mmm, thank you. " She sounded congested and John wondered if it was from swelling or something else. 

He nodded. He sat lightly on the bed at her feet. His weight was on his feet though, like he didn't want to commit to taking up her space. 

She sipped her tea and looked at him. "John, are you OK?" she asked. "Is your arm ok?"

He looked at her dumbfounded for a second, then, "Yeah, they were able to align it. I have to go for a cast next week after the swelling goes down. How about you? I mean, a lot happened. Are you OK with it all? I can't imagine what's going through your head right now. "

"Well as far as being taken, I'm trying to metabolize it. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty freaked out about it. But when I go and talk to the cops again, I think I’ll know more. I'm just thankful that you came."

He took a breath. "I'm glad too. How about your face?"

She hesitantly brought her fingers up to the little aluminum splint that was taped to her face, covering her nose. "It'll heal. I just have to go around like this. I'll be even more hideous when the black eyes come in. They say that'll probably be by tomorrow. It should be lovely."

He stopped with the tea halfway to his mouth, setting it down and leaning forward. "You, Rose Tyler, could never be hideous. You are the most beautiful creature ever made. No matter what colors your face turns."

She looked down at the contents of her mug and didn't answer. Silence thickened between them. 

"Yesterday was bad, Rose. Can I talk to you about it?"

She nodded into her tea.

He took another breath. "Did you... did you think that I went back to Reinette?" he finally asked. 

"Yes," she said into her mug. 

"And you thought I wasn't coming for you tonig- wait, last night?"

"Yes." 

He rubbed his good hand over his face. "Oh Gods, did I ever fuck this up." He jumped to his feet. "Rose, I need to ask you to listen to me, just for a minute. Things got so backward. But you need to know what happened. "

"Kay," she answered. He could tell that she was warring with herself to see if she really wanted to hear him. 

He started to pace. "Reinette surprised me. I kinda went into shock. I wasn't expecting to see her, not ever. But there she was. My life came rushing back, you know worlds colliding and all that. I didn't know where I was. I mean I did, but. ARRGG!" He took a breath. "She came here, and it was like old times. But it reminded me of what those old times were. They were not fun. Jack told me about you leaving, but I wasn't done with her. We fought, a lot. She finally left, but I made her agree to pay me back. It was horrible, but it's over. I tried to come get you but the truck broke. You know the rest of the story. I could not be sorrier... for everything."

"It's alright."

"No it's not!" His harshness startled her, and her eyes shot to him. He stood before her. "It's not OK that I acted that way, that I wasn't there for you. You could have been raped or ki-" he stopped. He took a long breath. "I- I should have been there. If I hadn't lost track of time, if I hadn't gotten swept up in her wake, if I would have just told Reinette from the beginning, instead of letting it go on, I would have been there, and he never would have been able to hurt you. I almost lost the most amazing thing in my life because I was too thick to move quickly and resolve things."

"You're not thick," she said simply.

He looked up quickly, something strange crossing his face. "Jack said that you said some stuff. About not being worthy. Do you feel that you’re not?"

Rose didn't answer. She looked all around the room, everywhere but at him. "I- I'm just glad you're OK, Martha walked by and you were unconscious, I thought the worst."

"Don't deflect. You didn't answer my question. "

Her head whipped around to him. "How about this, I'm a girl from the estates. I grew up with nothing. Everything I have now I worked my butt off for. I thought we had something, John, but then it felt like I got the carpet ripped out from under me. But then I got to thinking. I don't have much to offer. She has it all. I have nothing. A ramshackle house, a less than stellar education that is half done, I'm not a beauty queen, far from it. Then you come along, and it was good, but then I guess you figured I wasn't good enough either. So, there it is. Now my head hurts, and I'm tired, so unless you have something Earth shattering to tell me, I need to go back to sleep."

"Rose please, I'm not done. I don't know how I can possibly express to you what you mean to me and how badly I screwed up. You're everything to me. You're also the reason I'm here. "

"You would have woken up without me. You were nearly there." 

"No, that's not it. You think it's not true, but you're the reason I woke up. I heard your voice though my fog. You intermixed with my dreams. I remember the first time I woke. It's fuzzy but it’s there. I just wanted to open my eyes and see who belonged to the voice. And there you were. I wasn't sure if it was another dream. But then you came back, and it was easier to wake up. But at first it felt like I was drowning. I couldn't get to you. But every time I heard your voice, I tried a little harder. Finally, I got there. I'm so glad I did." He knelt in front of her. "Please, I don't know how else to say it to make you see. "

“John, I don't know. I mean I like you, a lot, but we're also so different. I don't think you can get down to my level."

"No, I don't think I can rise to get anywhere near yours. I've seen so much, death, destruction, and so much has been so unabashedly taken away. You are the only good thing I have going. You have given me so much, a house, as sense of worth, friendship, and someone I want to be with. You are a bright spot that I didn't even know I needed. But now that I’ve had it and it has been taken away, I realize how it fit so perfectly into my life. " His voice cracked with the last few words and he rested his head on the side of the bed. Rose heard a muffled sniff. 

John let his mind race, a thoughts and apologies bouncing around. None of which sounded good enough. He let her know how he felt, but she didn’t believe him. 

Then without a sound, he felt a whisper of movement. Then a small, warm hand on his head. It gently made a circle, avoiding his staples, but wound around until making its way to the side of his face, where little fingers lifted his face to hers. 

"John, before all this, you said you wanted to take it slow. But now you seem convinced. Is it just what happened that made you turn the corner?"

He stood and sat next to her again. She noticed a distinct droop to his shoulders. He now had dark circles under his eyes, his face looking almost grey. His eyes had even lost their luster. "I turned the corner, as you say, as soon as I got exposed to what I had. I knew within about hour that there was something very wrong with my relationship with Reinette. Then over the next day it just got worse. But I had, with the accident and all that, forgotten how bad it was. But I still had to deal with it, you know? The stupid part was that I never took you into consideration. It never occurred to me that my reaction to her would hurt you. I can't believe I missed that. I never intended for it to happen. I'm so thick that I came looking for you and Jack told me everything. It hit me like a train, Rose. But I had to finish with Reinette, I had to get her out of my life. I knew that you wouldn’t want to talk until I had a clean slate. So instead of coming to you, I tied it all up with her. It would have worked, but my truck decided to die. That put me behind."

Rose regarded him, looking intently. He was being sincere. He was completely ripped apart by this. At least now she knew how he felt. But taking that leap would be on her and she knew it. He was already there. His eyes had already trailed to the floor when she took hold of his chin again and turned his head, only to plant her lips on his. His hand came up immediately to caress her cheek. Then he pulled back, questions in his eyes.

"Does this mean that you forgive me? That you want to be with me?"

"Yes," she said, kissing him again. She pulled back, then tugged on his shirt, pulling him up to sit on the bed. "I figure I need to be around you a lot. You seem to keep getting into trouble. Someone needs to keep you safe. " She gave him a tongue touched smile, which he returned with a brilliant one of his own, brighter, if possible than any one she’d seen. 

They kissed again. He kept it gentle, careful not to hurt her. But as she parted her lips to let him in, he stopped again. 

“Now what?"

"I just don't want to hurt you."

"I'll let you know." The kissed heated up, she helped him, so he knew just how far to go. His hand slid up her side, resting just next to her breast and she groaned. 

He smiled against her lips. "Maybe we should wait a little longer, until we, um, are less broken."

She giggled, "Yeah, maybe. But just then if you didn't stop, I'm not sure I could have." He grinned back, but then noticed that she let out a huge yawn. 

"I think, Rose Tyler, that you need to go back to sleep for a bit. "

She shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to. I had a terrible dream, that's what woke me. I guess I'm still processing what happened. "

"Are you afraid now?"

"No, well I don't know. It's just weird, yeah? I just can't stop thinking about what could have happened, If you hadn't..."

He wrapped her arm around him and pulled her close. "You need to know that I never intend on letting anyone else hurt you ever again. "

She chuckled. "Stalker, much? It's not like you can protect me from everything."

"Watch me."

"Right."

"Ok, I concede that I can't be there every moment, though I am not opposed to it. But let's put it this way, situations that I can help with, like getting you from work, I will, or I will see to it that you have a safe way home. Is that better?"

"Yes." She nodded into his chest, sinking a little in farther.

"OK. Rose, you’re falling asleep. Perhaps if I stayed here with you, would that help?" I'm really good about chasing away bad dreams. "

She gave him a coy smile. "Maybe. "

"Let's give it a try, shall we?" he asked, releasing her to scoot back on the bed. He laid down on the pillow next to hers, held out his good arm, inviting her to snuggle up. He looked at him for a second, the man that said she saved him, then he saved her right back, beckoning her to lay next to him. With a smile she climbed up on his side, resting her head on his chest. 

"Now sleep”, he said, his voice rumbling against her ear. She sighed, resting her hand on his abdomen. 

She didn’t speak again and by the quiet, deep breaths she was taking, he knew she had fallen asleep. 

OoOooO 

John and Rose slept together until Rose's phone started to vibrate hours later. Well, John woke, she didn't. She slept until she felt gentle kisses pepper her forehead accompanied with, "Rose, your phone is going off."

She groggily lifted her head, wiped the crazy hair from her eyes while he laughed quietly. She fumbled for her phone while he got up and headed to the loo. 

When he came back, she was pulling on her jeans. "I gotta go to the police station."

"I'll order us a car."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! Another adventure has come to an end. Thank you for joining me. I love to hear your comments and thoughts, especially when one of the characters is being stupid. 
> 
> I have a few things on tap, my next is a Nine/Rose bodyguard story, and then a Ten/Rose Torchwood story. I even have one a little bit farther out that is a TARDIS adventure. Hey, as long as the plot bunnies run amok, I'll let them. But unlike some of you crazy kids, I can only do one at a time, so you have to wait. At least I'll have your attention for most of the summer! See you on the next one! 
> 
> Thanks again for taking this ride with me!

The sun was bright and high in the sky as John laid out the blanket for them on the grass. On the corner of it he set a picnic basket. He picked a spot partially under a tree and by the little lake. Classes had just finished for Rose, in fact she was on her way over after finishing her last final. He had seen to it that she had a ride, vetted the driver himself, and given directions on where to take her. 

He smiled as the car pulled up and dropped of a slightly confused Rose, who smiled hugely upon seeing him. 

He returned her smile and beckoned her to him. 

With a little skip she started over, her smile only widening when she saw the picnic setup. "Hey there!" she called, getting close. 

"Hey there yourself," he answered. "Would you like to join me?"

"Absolutely." She went about setting her things down and he looked out to the lake. 

It had been two weeks since the incident and they had been closer by the day. But hadn’t slept together like they had, rather in the same bed, since that night. Though they hadn't gotten much further than cuddles and kisses, John saw to it that he saw her every time he could. He repaired the truck and picked her up nightly and even frequently drove her to school or work. 

He now had a black cast running from his upper arm to his hand. But his staples had already been taken out and his hair was making a comeback in the area. Rose was looking better by the day. Her swelling had dissipated, and even though she had black eyes, they were now greener in color and fading fast. She could now cover them with minimal makeup. 

Rose took a seat next to John on the blanket. 

He didn’t turn to look at her when she sat, just kept staring out to the lake. "John?"

"Hmm?"

"What is all this?"

It took him a half second, but he broke his gaze and looked back to her, his expression calm, with a slight smile. "This, Rose Tyler is a nice afternoon with my girl. "

She grinned. "So, I'm your girl. Does that mean you're my boy?"

"Sure. I guess we haven't defined that yet, huh?"

"Yeah," she answered. 

He wrapped his good arm around her shoulders and sighed, looking back out on the lake.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulders. 

"How much my life has changed in the past six months.”

“It’s changed a lot.” She turned with his hand still on her so she could see him better. She brought her hand up to run over the scar on the side of his head. “I know so little about what happened to you and what you were before, well except for the obvious stuff. This scar for instance, was it from the accident?”

“No.” She expended him to stiffen, his jaw to tighten, but it didn’t. 

Rose waited for more of an explanation, but none came. “John, I want you to be comfortable with me. “

“I am.” He looked back to her then to the lake. 

“I mean with everything. I want you to feel like you can tell me things. “

He waited for a long moment. “That was from an IED. We were far enough away that I was the only casualty. It was from shrapnel. I healed up and was back on my helicopter soon there-after. On my first day back, I got the mission the caused the big accident. You know the rest of the story.”

John and Rose talked all the time. But these little pieces of his life before her were few and far between. Rose greedily grabbed at them when she could, trying to piece together a picture of John’s life before. He didn’t keep secrets so much as just didn’t elaborate. She knew he would get there eventually. 

Birds called overhead, causing Rose to look up at them, but John’s gaze still hadn’t moved from the lake. 

They sat in silence for a while. Rose looked at him periodically, she now could see his jaw working. He was working through something. He hadn’t been tense when she first sat down, but he was now. Suddenly, his head whipped around to face her. She jumped but didn’t say anything. 

His deep blue eyes were locked into hers. They were paralyzing. “Rose, I want to tell you something.”

“OK-“

“As you know, in the past months, my life hasn’t only changed, but it has been turned upside down, shaken out, and tossed around. But there has been one constant. It’s you. You were there when I woke up, and as far as I’m concerned, the reason I did.”

“You’ve told me this. I’m happy to be here.”

“It’s more than that. You’ve stuck with me. You didn’t even find a way to hate me when Reinette came. I haven’t been easy to be with. But you stuck with me. I’ve never been around anyone like you before. And I…”

“What John?” She brought her hand up to his neck, letting her fingers land on his hairline. 

He took a long breath, looked away, but only for a second, and then back to her. If possible, his eyes were even more intense. “I want to tell you that ... I love you. I love you, Rose Tyler, everything about you. You are the truest person I have ever met, and for some reason you have taken to me and haven’t run away with all my quirks. I’m so happy to be here with you.”

Rose regarded him for a moment, then broke into her huge smile. “Oh John. I’m so glad you got there.”

“Huh?” He pulled back slightly. 

“I’ve been ready for you to say that, in fact I’ve wanted to say it myself, but I know that you need your time. I love you too.” John’s eyebrows flew up for a second before he fixed her with his biggest smile. Rose only let that light his face for a second before she swiftly took him in a passionate kiss. 

The snog lasted minutes, but Rose could have let it be hours. They laid back on the blanket and continued, periodically coming up for air. After a while, Rose pulled back and giggled. 

“Yes?” he asked. 

“We’re in public.”

He stuck his head up and looked around. “I only see ducks and they don’t seem to care.”

She giggled again as he captured her lips. 

He snogged her until the sun was low in the sky. Slowly he moved his hand up and down her side, never venturing too far, but keeping her close. In turn she ran her fingers over his hair, scratching just a little, making him moan periodically. 

At long last, he sat up, and started to unpack the picnic basket and they ate sandwiches as the sun slipped over the horizon. 

When it was too dark to see the park anymore, they stood, John putting the blanket over his shoulder, and Rose holding the basket in one hand and his hand in the other. 

The drive back was spent in companionable silence. Rose longed to hold his hand again, but he needed the good one to drive. 

As they drove up to the house, Rose laughed out loud. The front garden was brightly lit with white fairy lights in the trees and strung around the eves of the house. “What’s this then?” she asked. 

“Oh, I dunno, I just wanted to make this house more of a home. You know, a place we all wanted to come home to and stay. A place I want to be.” He pulled the truck into the drive. 

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

He turned to her. “Telling you that I love you was the first part. The second part was me telling you that I made up mind. I want to stay… here. I know this house is a burden on you. I’d like to help you with that. And, now that I’m here, I’m not sure that you can get rid of me.”

“Why would I ever want to get rid of you? I told you, I have loved you for while, I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I knew that you needed a minute to catch up. Please stay. The best part is that I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve next.”

With that, he laid a gentle kiss on her lips and they got out of the truck. Like before they held hands as they ascended the steps to the house. Once inside, John flipped a new switch on the wall, turning off the front lights. Then they walked to the spot between his door down to the basement (he had fully converted it to his bedroom now), and her bedroom door. He brought her hand up to his lips and then kissed it. “Good night Rose, I can’t wait to see you in the morning.”

She turned her hand in his and gripped it. “Stay with me?” she asked.

“In your bed?” His eyebrows shot up.

“What do you think?” she asked coyly. 

“I think that would be very nice.”

“Me too,” she said, leading him towards her bed.


End file.
